Persona 3 Portable- Twin Edition
by Denthasus
Summary: Persona 3 Portable. Twins Minato and Hamuko return to Iwatodai after nearly a decade of being haunted by Death. With their discovery of Personas and Shadows, they hope to finally face their fears of Death with the help of their newfound friends. Novelization of both protagonist routes with slightly more focus on Minato.
1. New Game, New Start

**Author's Notes:** So it's been a while... That being said, I'm not sure about the quality of my writing. I'm only putting this up because why not? This story as a whole is my coping mechanism for the entire game. I'm playing Fes right now so I guess I'll update a chapter as I play until I'm caught up with my game progress... Or not... It'd be a shame to keep unnecessary files on my computer anyways... So without further ado... Welcome to Tatsumi Port Island where our story unfolds.

* * *

~6 APRIL 2009~

A crackling voice cut through the silence of the passenger train. "Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai…"

 _That's just great,_ a blue-haired boy sarcastically mused as he stared out the window of the passenger train. His arms were crossed as his perpetual frown deepened into a scowl. His blue-grey eyes wandered over to the sleeping passenger sitting against him and his expression immediately softened. He carefully readjusted the jacket blanketed over the brown-haired girl but froze when she started to stir.

"Hm? Nii-san?" The girl straightened up and rubbed her eyes. "Did we arrive?"

"No, not yet. Sorry. Did I wake you, Hamuko?"

Hamuko shook her head and handed her brother back his jacket. "We're almost there though, right?"

"Next stop," the blue-haired boy said with a shrug as he returned his gaze to the blurring buildings outside. "But it'll be midnight soon," he informed her.

Hamuko felt her body stiffen, but noticed that her brother had been tense for a while. "I see…" She focused her red eyes out the same window as her brother. "Then you should get some rest, nii-san. If _that_ happens here, you definitely won't be able to sleep well tonight."

"Hrm. I'll be fine." The boy eyes glanced around the car they were in and his fingers went up to the headphones around his neck. "Hey…"

The younger twin looked around and shrugged. "It's okay, Minato, since there's nobody else here. I don't mind."

"Mm," Minato grunted in thanks as he began playing his favorite song on the highest volume setting his headphones could support.

 _"I will burn my dread~"_ As soon as the song cut through the silence, both twins could feel the tension slowly ease away.

The two stared out the window together. The scenery wasn't special, but given their situation, it was better than nothing. Hamuko let the sight of the buildings blended against the coast bury itself into her memory.

 _Another year, another city. Maybe this'll be the last time we'll have to move. After all, this is where…_ Her thoughts trailed as her eyes wandered over to her brother. The blue-haired boy's face betrayed nothing as Hamuko quickly averted her gaze from him. _No… For Minato's sake, I won't focus on that. This is a new start for us. Things'll definitely be better this year._

She was quickly taken out of her thoughts when a shimmering blur outside the window caught her attention. "What's that?" she asked aloud.

Minato had noticed it too and his eyes narrowed on two mysterious glowing objects. He tilted his head to the side. "Butterflies?"

A pair of beautiful butterflies, one red and the other blue, rested on the window for a moment. The two wanted to get a better look and stood up, but as soon as they were close enough to examine the insects, the train suddenly stopped. Minato quickly grabbed Hamuko's arm to catch her while he steadied himself against the seat. Minato turned his head back towards the butterflies, but they were already gone.

The same static-filled voice as before made the blue-haired boy glare at the speaker. "Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please take care to board before departure."

 _Tch_ , he thought in annoyance.

Hamuko noticed her brother's expression and let out a light chuckle. "Maybe Tatsumi Port Island is full of those butterflies."

"Hrm… Maybe…" Minato carefully took down their carrying bags and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Hamuko reached for hers but the older brother shook his head as he lifted her duffel. "I've got it."

"Thanks," the younger twin smiled as they departed the station together. They didn't get far before she felt a chill run down her spine. Hamuko automatically shifted closer to her brother as the familiar feeling of dread washed over them.

The twins stood close together as around them, machinery began to shut down. Even Minato's blaring headphones were silenced as a dull green shadow was cast over the street. Rust-red liquid leaked from the walls and pooled at their feet.

This time, Minato let out an audible "Tch." He quickly grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her away from the train station.

Hamuko silently followed but as they navigated the unfamiliar streets of a new city, they soon found themselves going down alleyways leading in dead-ends. The younger twin tightened her grip around her brother's hand and noticed he was trembling from sheer panic.

"Nii-san," she finally spoke up after what felt like an eternity of wandering around, "It's okay. I'm right here with you."

"H-huh?" Minato snapped his head up as though he suddenly became aware of his surroundings. He looked around nervously before realizing he was squeezing his sister's hand a bit too tightly. "O-oh... Sorry..." He gently let go and brought his freed hand up to brush back his bangs. "I got us lost, didn't I?" he asked with a groan.

"Well, your sense of direction isn't the best," Hamuko lightly joked to ease the tension of the situation, "but at least we haven't come across anything danger—" she suddenly let out a short scream as a nearby trashcan toppled over, spilling dark red blood over the sidewalk. It all happened in less than a second, but her brother was immediately in front of her, ready to shield her from harm with his own body. After another eternal second, she let out a weak laugh. "Let's keep going, nii-san."

"Yeah..." Minato cautiously nodded. "You should lead the way this time though. I'll just..." he uncomfortably kept an eye out on their surroundings, "warn you if I see anything..."

"Alright," Hamuko agreed as she grabbed his hand again while reaching into her pocket for a crumpled pamphlet with her other. She did her best to read the small map by the dim moonlight but soon they were off again.

It took a little longer than either sibling would have liked but eventually, the two ended up in front of a four-story building. Hamuko stopped walking and compared the address on the sheet to that of where they were to ensure they made it to their destination. Her brother looked at her pleadingly for her to say something as he continued glancing over his shoulder for anything that might be amiss.

Finally, Hamuko broke the silence. "Yeah, this is the place."

"Good," he said, letting out a heavy sigh as he forcefully opened the door and practically threw his body in.

Hamuko quickly went in after him and closed the door, but froze when a young boy sitting at the reception desk smiled at the twins.

"Welcome," the boy said, blue eyes glowing with anticipation. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time."

Minato tensed up and eyed the boy suspiciously. He was about to say something when the boy suddenly held out two pieces of paper.

"If you want to proceed, then please sign here. It's a contract. There's no need to be scared. It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions."

Minato refused to move, but Hamuko stepped towards the counter. Her brother made a move as if to pull her back, but she gave him a reassuring smile. The red-eyed girl picked up the paper and read it aloud. "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." _That's an odd thing for a contract to be about._ She flipped the paper over and looked for any fine print. When she couldn't find anything wrong, she shook her head to let her brother know it seemed safe.

Minato finally stepped forward to stand beside at her right side. The strange boy smiled at them both as he held out two black-feathered pens. Both twins took a pen and Minato simply watched as his younger sister quickly signed her name _Hamuko Arisato_. He turned back to his own contract and blinked when he had absently signed his own name of _Minato Yuki_ without realizing it. He didn't lift the pen from the paper as he spent a moment contemplating whether to hand it over to the boy, but before he could decide for himself, both contracts were quickly pulled away from them. Minato couldn't protest as the unknown boy gave him a smile that somehow put him at ease despite all the suspicion he felt.

"Very well," the boy said with satisfaction. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins…"

The boy disappeared from in front of them. Minato was about to turn towards Hamuko to question what just happened, but another voice quickly caught his attention.

"Who's there!?" A girl this time. Minato faced this stranger and quickly saw the gun holster at the brown-haired girl's side. His eyes narrowed as the girl stared at them with suspicion and surprise. "How can you be…? But it's…!" She paused for a moment. "Don't tell me…"

Minato quickly stepped in front of Hamuko as the strange girl pulled out the gun. The younger twin grabbed her brother's jacket but noticed a pale light standing behind the girl. The light took the form of a man, but Hamuko said nothing as she tightened her hold on her brother.

"Wait!" Another voice cut through the tension.

A red-haired girl appeared from the stairwell. Whoever she was, her exclamation did the trick as it made the first girl pause. Soon, the sickly green glow disappeared and electrical lights turned on to illuminate the darkness. Music resumed from Minato's silent headphones.

"The light…" The first girl relaxed as she put her gun away.

After muting Minato's headphones, Hamuko placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. The blue-haired boy was completely on edge and she gave him a comforting squeeze to let him know the danger has passed. The second girl entered the lounge and motioned for the twins to have a seat. Hamuko took her bag from her brother and led him over to the couches.

Minato silently followed, but kept a wary eye on the first girl. He paused when he saw a flickering shadow loom over both girls. He blinked a few times, but noticed the shadows were gone.

The second girl cleared her throat to make sure she had their undivided attention. "I didn't think you'd arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

The first girl gave the twins a suspicious look-over, causing Minato to glare at her. Hamuko grabbed a fistful of his jacket to prevent him from doing anything that would probably get them both kicked out. The strange girl didn't notice however and turned towards the older red-haired girl. "Who're they?"

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They'll eventually be moved to rooms in the normal dorms."

"Is it okay for them to be here?"

Mitsuru thoughtfully examined the twins. "I guess we'll see." She smoothly introduced the twins to the girl. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

The girl sheepishly smiled at them as they exchanged handshakes. "Hi, I'm Yukari."

Hamuko returned her smile. "Hamuko. And this is my brother, Minato." She pointed over to the sullen boy beside her. "Nice to meet you!"

The red-eyed girl's enthusiasm surprised Yukari. "Uh, y-yeah. Nice to meet you too." Her gaze went back to Minato, expecting the boy to do the same, but Minato continued to glare at her.

"Why do you have a gun?" he asked.

Not expecting his question, Yukari stumbled over her words. "Huh? Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby. Well, not a hobby, but…"

Mitsuru quickly cut in. "You know how it is these days. It's for self-defense." She smiled at the twins. "It's not a real gun, of course."

Minato stared at the gun for a while before he decided the redhead's answer would suffice for now. Still, something else was bothering him. "Is this a girl's dorm?"

Yukari was the one to answer him. "No, it's not, but… Umm, how should I explain it?"

The blue-haired boy's frown deepened, but Mitsuru quickly cleared it up for him. "Unlike the other buildings, this one's co-ed. It's not your typical dorm, though. I'll explain it to you later when I get a chance." Mitsuru's phrasing made the twins give each other a dubious look. Noticing this, Mitsuru quickly spoke. "It's getting late, so you should get some rest. Yuki, your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Arisato, yours is also at the end of the hallway, but on the third floor. Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night."

Yukari took this as a sign to get up. "Oh! I'll show you the way. Follow me."

The two gathered their bags and followed their peer upstairs. At the landing of the second floor, Yukari pointed down the hall for Minato. "There it is. Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since the two of you are right at the end of the hall. So, any questions?"

Hamuko slightly raised her hand as if she were in class. "When we arrived, we signed a contract."

"Huh? What's this about a contract?"

Minato raised an eyebrow at the brunette. The confused expression on her face told him that she genuinely didn't know anything about a contract. To test his hypothesis, he asked a question of his own. "Does that kid live here too?"

"What kid?" Yukari looked between the two. "What are you two talking about? C'mon, it's not funny." She was getting worked up over something but took a deep breath. "Um… Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Minato and Hamuko looked to each other before replying at the same time. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I—" Yukari cut herself off and shook her head. "Never mind. It seems like you're both alright." She looked up the stairs before turning towards Hamuko. "Well, we'd better get going." Minato started down the hall while Hamuko followed Yukari up, but stopped when he heard Yukari pause. "Um… I'm sure you still have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay? Good night."

Minato shrugged as he continued down the hall towards his new room. "Whatever."

When Yukari and Hamuko got to the top of stairs, Yukari gave the brunette an apologetic smile. "Your brother doesn't seem to like me, does he?"

Hamuko lightly laughed as she continued towards her new room. "No, I'm sure he's just tired from the trip. He'll probably be better in the morning," she lied, knowing her brother was worse during mornings.

"I hope so," Yukari frowned. "Well, good night."

"Good night." Hamuko entered her room and carefully put her bag down. She quickly changed into suitable sleeping clothes and stared at the empty room. She stood at her window for a while and looked out over the rest of the city. _Yeah, this is definitely a new start, right? We'll be fine._

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Weeks after they moved in, Minato and Hamuko finally found the time to decorate their rooms. Rather, it was Hamuko doing the decorating while Minato watched and gave input when necessary. He sat on his bed tinkering with his camera while keeping an eye on the overly excited girl shuffling his things around.

"That should be it!" Hamuko exclaimed, satisfied with her work. "All that's left is to install the curtains. Your room'll be perfect then, considering you hate the morning sun."

The older twin grunted in agreement as he glared at the bright windows. "You got the curtains, right?"

"I thought you got them."

Minato stopped polishing his camera lens. "Oh right, I did. Blue. All of them."

"What? But I wanted orange!" Hamuko pouted.

"Well, I'm the one who bought them and I'll be the one to install them, so I got blue. They're better at keeping out light."

"Not everyone is a vampire like you," the girl huffed. She let it go though and decided to pull her brother up to get him started on his half of the work. "Come on. Your camera can wait."

"Right," Minato said as he gently set his camera on his nightstand. "Oh, speaking of cameras," he pointed to the obstructive security camera, or rather the remains of it, hanging from a corner of his ceiling. "You want me to do something about the one in your room?"

Hamuko blinked as she just noticed the camera. "What did you do!?"

"I disabled and dismantled mine a few nights ago," Minato chuckled, pointing to the various parts still lying on his bed.

The girl shook her head at her older brother. "What were you thinking? Fix it before you get into trouble! You idiot. What if they kick you out of the dorm for tampering with the security camera?"

Slightly disappointed, Minato pulled out the toolbox from under his bed. "Fine… They were really nice parts though. This stuff actually works during the Dark Hour."

"All the more reason to not mess with it," Hamuko groaned. "You can't steal technology from the Kirijo Group! They'd kill you!"

"It's only illegal if you get caught." The boy flinched at the girl's resulting glare. "Okay, I'm fixing it," Minato rolled his eyes. "But just to be sure, you still want your curtains to go up today, right? This might take a while."

Hamuko sighed as she decided to give her brother a hand.

* * *

 **Final Notes** : So a short start. My first thoughts of Yukari were that I didn't like her. She was very prickly towards Minato in the beginning but even after she warmed up to me, I still didn't like her. I never finished her Social Link... Well, now that I'm trying to complete Fes, that'll change. I appreciate her little more now, but not really... Useless archer keeps getting herself countered against, killing her. Is it just me or is everyone nicer to Hamuko when they play Portable? Also, I'm giving Minato more of my personality for some reason... Hamuko is really fun to play as, but I connect to Minato a lot more. That said, I'm going along with my personal preferences meaning Minato will be going after Fuuka while Hamuko will be going after Shinjiro.


	2. First Days Are Always the Longest

**Author's Notes:** I'll probably be uploading daily considering I've got lots of this already typed up. I tend to go back every once in a while to change a few details, but if anything major comes up, I'll make a note of it here. Anyways, it's time for the twins to start school. This game has a huge intro... I don't really mind since it introduces a lot things to the player, but going through the beginning so many times is pretty annoying. That said, I'm omitting one scene from this day since I don't really feel it's necessary.

* * *

~7 APRIL 2009~

Minato stumbled out of bed and made his way to the door. He yawned as he opened it, only to be shoved out of the way as an energetic ball of anticipation and excitement greeted him. "Morning! Time to get up. It's the first day of school and we can't be late!" Hamuko crossed her arms when she noticed her older brother was still wearing his clothes from yesterday. "Nii-san," she frowned, "don't tell me you slept in that."

"I did," Minato apathetically replied.

"Change, now," she commanded.

The blue-eyed boy lazily grumbled as he pulled out his new school uniform. "Get out then," he tried to argue back, but he had already taken off his shirt.

"Nii-san, you're hopeless," Hamuko sighed as she turned around.

"Hrm," Minato replied as he changed his pants behind his bed. He went over to the sink and began brushing his teeth. "So what do you think?" he asked before he placed the brush against his teeth.

"I don't know. It's different. This is the first time we'll be on our own."

Minato made a gurgle of agreement.

"I'm glad, but I'm scared too. We won't have anyone from the family to worry about, but that means we'll have to be responsible for each other. At least the other people in the dorm seem nice."

Minato rinsed his mouth and glanced at his sister through the mirror. "Isn't it strange though?" Hamuko stared back at her brother's reflection. "This is the first time we've met other people completely safe during _that_. They know something."

"Yeah," Hamuko agreed. "I think so too."

"It was a good idea coming back after all," the older boy wrung a towel and cleaned his face. Once done, he carefully examined his reflection when he became distracted by the shadows dancing in his room. He was about to say something he remembered about last night when someone began knocking on his door.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?"

Hamuko started for the door, but Minato quickly intercepted her. The boy shook his head, but the red-eyed girl responded with a pout.

"Hello!" Yukari knocked again. "Please answer the door, or I'll get in trouble! Your sister isn't in her room either!"

Hamuko put her hands on her hips and eyed the door expectantly. Minato finally relented and stepped aside. He leaned against his dresser as the door opened.

"Oh! Hamuko! You're here. Great!" She smiled at the twins. "Good morning. Did you sleep okay? Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school. Are you ready to go?"

Hamuko lit up at the thought of seeing their new school. "Totally!"

"I can find it myself," Minato said, frowning to himself when he thought he saw another faint shadow cast itself behind Yukari.

Yukari stared at the boy dubiously. "Oh, really? But, you don't wanna risk being late the first day, do you?"

"Whatever," Minato stubbornly remained in place, but his eyes began scanning for his schoolbag.

"Minato," Hamuko shot her brother a disapproving look. "Sorry about him. He's not good with people," she shook her head before narrowing her gaze and reminding the stubborn boy about one of his weaknesses, "or _directions_." The boy's frown deepened as he fiddled with his headphones but it wasn't as though he could argue against that. He finally shrugged in compliance and Hamuko quickly grabbed his arm before he could change his mind. "Okay, let's go!"

* * *

Minato took a seat on the monorail as Yukari and Hamuko were having an avid discussion on what he deemed was "girl talk". The tired boy's shoulders sank as he watched the two girls. _How do they have so much energy?_ He asked himself as he gazed out the window over the ocean. Somehow, the scene refreshed him and he sat up to get a better look.

Hamuko noticed the beautiful view too and gasped in surprise. "Oh wow!"

Yukari smiled at them. "We have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?" The twins looked at each other, shaking their heads. Yukari's smile grew when she pointed out the window. "This is my favorite part… When it feels like you're gliding over the sea." Minato closed his eyes and felt it too, amazed that such a scene could exist on the same train that gave him grief just the night before. He turned back towards Yukari as she continued her explanation. "Our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there, we walk. Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island? It's a man-made island. They built our school right in the middle. Oh, look, you can see it now!"

Hamuko and Minato turned once more toward the window. "It's huge!" Hamuko exclaimed.

 _Huge? Are you kidding? That doesn't even come close!_ Minato's familiar frown settled on his face again. He fiddled with his headphones, tempted to put them on, but he refrained from doing so. He paused though when he thought he saw another faint shadow, this time larger, loom over the school like a cloud. _What is that?_

"Minato?" Hamuko called out to him.

The boy looked towards both girls and quickly followed after them. "It's a lot to take in," he muttered as he watched the other students walking towards the massive academy.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it," Yukari commented with a reassuring smile.

A girl passing them called out to her. "Morning!"

"Morning!" Yukari waved back and it made Minato want to sink further into his discomfort. The brunette didn't seem to notice however, as she stopped in front of the gates of the school. "Well, here we are! Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

Hamuko chuckled to herself. "It sure looks like it! Come on, Minato!" She grabbed her brother's arm before he could escape and Minato felt as though he was being dragged into hell.

Once inside, they all changed their shoes and officially stepped into the school's lobby. Yukari looked to the two. "You're okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teachers first. The Faculty Office is right there to the left." She pointed over to the corresponding hall. "And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?"

"Which class are you in, Yukari-san?" Hamuko asked.

Yukari frowned and turned towards the bulletin boards where a mass of students were gathered around. "Me? I dunno… I haven't looked at the classroom assignments yet."

Minato put his hands in his pockets as he got ready to head towards the office area. "Well, then I guess we'll go then."

Before he took a step, Yukari called out to them both. "Hey… About last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?" She looked around the lobby before starting towards the bulletin. "See ya later."

Minato raised an eyebrow. _Tell? It's not like people believe us anyway when it comes to_ that _. And what's with that clouded shadow anyways? I don't like this one bit._ Still, he watched Yukari's back and was relieved when he saw no traces of that faint shadow he had seen before. Not on her or anyone else in the school.

Hamuko sensed that her brother was distracted so pulled on his cheek to snap him out of his reverie. "Stop frowning like that. It makes you look older than Gramps." Minato rolled his eyes, causing his younger sister to giggle. "Let's go, Minato!"

Per Yukari's instructions, they found themselves in the Faculty Office in front of a female teacher who was sifting through their files. The lady looked up to them both in surprise as they entered. "Oh, are you the new students?"

Minato, the first to come in, nodded in response.

"Minato Yuki and… Hamuko Arisato… 11th grade, correct?" She skimmed through their files. "Oh, so you're siblings. Twins, in fact." The two shifted in slight discomfort since their family matters were a bit complicated due to the shuffling they continuously experienced throughout the years. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places. Let's see… In 1999… That was what, ten years ago? Your parents—" the lady let out a sharp gasp. "I'm sorry… I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."

"Oh… Thanks," Minato murmured.

"Nice to meet you!" Hamuko completely drowned out his dull response.

Toriumi smiled at the two of them. "Wow, such enthusiasm! We could use more go-getters like you." She closed their files and looked at another sheet of paper she had. "Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me."

The two soon found themselves in a large auditorium. By the time they got there, the seats were completely filled and much to Minato's chagrin, he had to sit separately from his sister. The blue-haired boy glanced up at the man who was to be considered their principal and sighed. He didn't even bother paying attention to the speech, but he did take the chance to glance at the audience to scope out his peers.

Bored out of his mind, Minato entertained himself with a game. He looked down at his uniform and mentally counted. _Uniform infraction one. Unbuttoned jacket, headphones._ His eyes wandered the audience and he found Hamuko. _Perfect as always. No infraction there._ He noticed the older red-haired girl from last night sitting near the front. _Infraction two, I think… Does Kirijo-senpai count if her family owns the school? But she's not wearing the regulation jacket even though it's a part of the mandated winter uniform. Speaking of which, Takeba is an infraction too._ He quickly found the pink cardigan next to his sister. _Yup, infraction three._ And next to her were two boys. The first was wearing the proper uniform, but beside him? _Is that a tracksuit? What the heck?_ He counted three more in the forms of a baseball cap, a non-regulation red vest, and a beige vest. Quickly skimming the rest of the audience, Minato felt satisfied with his final count. _Seven. Not ba—Wait._ His eyes rested on a girl with teal hair. Minato's eyes narrowed on the light blue collar sticking up from her regulatory school jacket. _Does that count? I mean, it's traditionally supposed to be white, but I guess there's no rule in the school handbook_ dictating _it to be white. She doesn't look like the type to be violating uniform policy purposefully either._

As he had his mental dilemma, the girl felt his gaze and turned back to look at him. Like a deer caught in headlights, Minato froze, before he quickly diverted his gaze back to his own lap. He glanced back towards the girl, and sighed a breath of relief when she had turned back around. He decided it would be safest to stare at his sister, but looking towards her, Hamuko was smirking back at him. Minato shot her a glare before blankly staring at their principal.

 _And for that, I guess I_ won't _count her_ , Minato thought to himself. _Seven total infractions._ Satisfied, he tried to get back into following what the principal was saying but a guy behind him tried to get his attention.

"Psst! Hey!" Minato shifted his head to acknowledge the nuisance. "You came to school with Yukari this morning, right? I saw you and the other new transfer walking together. Hey, I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

Minato frowned. "I don't know."

"I see. I thought you might know, but… I guess not. So, how well do you know her?"

Before Minato could respond though, a teacher spoke up.

"I hear talking. I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class…"

Toriumi glared at the teacher before scolding the multiple students in her class that had been whispering. "Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!"

Thankful for the diversion, Minato returned his focus to the principal. Hopefully the day won't be too long.

* * *

Hamuko watched as her brother reluctantly left her side to find an empty seat within their class section. The first seat they had found, Minato had given to her. To others, it would have been a sign of chivalry; he was being polite. To those who knew they were twins, it was Minato being a good big brother. To those that knew him, which pretty much meant herself, it was because Yukari was sitting next to the empty seat.

It wasn't that Minato necessarily disliked Yukari. It was more that Minato was awkward with people and he was a lot more comfortable on his own. Plus, Hamuko liked her so why not give his sister a chance to actually sit next to the girl she wanted to befriend?

So there he was, two rows back, sitting next to a bunch of strangers with that same frown he always wore. Hamuko noticed his eyes wandering and knew he had immediately stopped listening to the principal. Not that she could blame him, the speech wasn't all that impressive and even she lost interest.

Instead, she swept her eyes over the stage and noticed one of the exit doors was open. A large figure stood there, watching the Welcoming Ceremony, but Hamuko couldn't tell whether it was a student or a staff member. It was a tall silhouette wearing what probably looked like a beanie and a long coat. It didn't make much sense though since the weather was cool, but it didn't warrant such a heavy jacket.

 _That can't be a student,_ she decided as she continued to watch the presence just stand there. _Don't tell me I'm seeing things again. No wait, they're real._ She let out a relieved breath when a teacher tried to approach the figure only to cower back to his seat when the taller presence looked towards him. _Nope, probably a student. A delinquent, maybe?_

Hamuko continued to watch, but noticed the same familiar light standing near the boy. It took the form of a little girl and it looked like the girl was tugging on his sleeve, urging him to join the audience. The young child pointed to someone in the front audience and Hamuko traced who she was referring to.

The red-eyed girl noticed a white-haired boy sitting ahead of her. The boy had his head turned towards the tall figure at the door. Intrigued, Hamuko couldn't take her eyes away as she watched the ghostly girl give up pulling on the taller boy. The girl instead went to the white-haired boy's side and remained there, sadly gazing at the boy who refused to come in.

Hamuko returned her attention on said boy and noticed that he was scanning the audience, but stopped when he noticed Hamuko staring. She could feel an intense energy bore through her being before the figure turned away. Hamuko could do nothing and just watched his receding maroon jacket trail out the door. _Huh. I wonder what that was about._ She stared at the exit for a moment longer until something else caught her attention.

"I heard we got two transfer students." Two boys sitting in the row behind her were whispering rather loudly.

"Yep. I've seen them, too. They came to school with Yukari."

"Wow, they lucked out to get to know Yukari so quickly."

"Yeah, no kidding. The girl was pretty cute too."

"That dude she was with seemed close to her. You think they're dating?"

"Ah, who knows? He could be dating Yukari."

A girl suddenly joined in on the boys' conversation. "He was pretty hot, so I wouldn't be surprised."

 _Hot? Minato?_ Hamuko controlled her need to laugh as she slightly turned her head to see what her brother was doing. He was intently staring at someone so she traced his line of sight and found that a cute girl had caught his attention.

Hamuko studied the blue-haired boy's expression and noticed he was focusing on something. Perhaps it was another game of his. Something silly to stave off boredom, but he had better be careful. If the girl turns around, he'd probably implode from embarrassment.

And the girl did turn. Hamuko watched as her brother quickly ducked his head. _Aw… Minato's blushing._ Turning back to the girl, Hamuko noticed that the teal-haired girl was also blushing. _Huh… Wow. She must be just as bashful as nii-san._ Hamuko smirked at her brother and noticed he shot her a glare right back.

Yukari noticed Hamuko looking at the row behind them. "What's up?"

The red-eyed girl shook her head. "It's nothing. Just checking on Minato." Her eyes darted over to the boys behind them and Yukari immediately got the hint.

The other girl made a face. "Ugh. I wish they'd stop."

Hamuko shrugged and the two returned their focus on the principal. It was a few seconds later that the teacher of the class in front of them began scolding them.

* * *

Hamuko stood up from her desk and was about to pounce on her sleeping brother when a new face popped up in front of her.

"Sup, dude!?"

Hamuko yelped, causing the remaining students in class to look over.

The boy with a baseball cap just smiled back at her. "Haha, you look like a deer in headlights."

The red-eyed girl finally managed to calm her heart rate. After making sure this new boy wasn't a figment of her imagination she finally spoke. "Who are you?"

"Me?" The boy asked with a raised eyebrow.

He was about to say something when Yukari interrupted with a sigh. "At it again, huh? Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?"

"Hit on?" Hamuko frowned to herself, concerned her brother didn't overhear that.

At that moment though, Minato suddenly appeared from behind the boy. He cleared his throat, causing the tall boy to jump. Minato ignored him though and continued making his way to Hamuko. When he finally made it to his sister's desk, he gave Hamuko an expectant nod. "Ready to go?"

Seeing this as his chance to befriend both new kids at once, the capped boy smiled at Minato. "Sup, dude!?"

As if he just noticed his presence, Minato frowned at Junpei. "What do you want?"

"Oh, come on. Let me introduce myself, at least."

"No thanks," Minato interrupted only to have Hamuko sternly glance at him. The boy rolled his eyes and allowed the boy to continue. "Whatever."

"I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid… So I wanted to say, 'hey'. See what a nice guy I am!" Yukari groaned, but Junpei just smirked at her. "I didn't think we'd be in the same class again."

The girl sighed in response. "Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly."

"If you say so." Yukari looked to the twins. "Anyway, looks like we're in the same homeroom…"

Hamuko lightly laughed. "Yeah, I know."

Minato crossed his arms and frowned. "It's just a coincidence."

Yukari was starting to get used to his attitude so nodded. "I know, but still… I was a little surprised."

Junpei cut in. "Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too? By the way, I heard you three came to school together this morning." He stared at both girls with a goofy smile. "A couple of cuties like you, walking side by side…" He then lightly elbowed Minato. "And you with them… The whole class was buzzing about you. C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

Yukari's face went red as she looked towards Minato. "Wh-what are you talking about!? We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it!? Now you have me worried…" She became silent for a moment before asking the blue-haired boy. "Hey… You didn't say anything to anyone about… you know what, did you?"

Confused, Minato looked towards Hamuko, who only shrugged in response. "You know what?"

Yukari groaned. "Don't tell me you forgot already! Seriously… Don't say anything about last night, alright?"

Junpei stared blankly back at Yukari while Hamuko and Minato exchanged glances.

Noticing the awkward silence, Yukari turned towards Junpei. "Wh-what?"

"L-last night?" the boy stuttered.

"W-wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea. Listen! I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us!" Yukari knew she was digging a grave for herself. "Geez… Could you just forget it? I hate dealing with rumors like that. I mean, I'm used to it, but they just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad, spreading rumors like that? Well, I've gotta go take care of some archery team stuff. Later, Hamuko. Don't try anything funny, you got that, Junpei?" She picked up her bag but cast Junpei and Minato one last glance before leaving. "You better not start any rumors!"

Junpei waited until she was gone before shrugging. He turned towards Minato. "Ah, who cares? No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid… But, hey! It's your first day here, and people are already talkin' about you! Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular. You da man!"

Minato looked away, an expression of annoyance clearly plastered over his face. "Whatever." He looked back over to Hamuko. "Let's go. There's a place I want to stop by before heading back to the dorm."

"Ooh… Where's it at? Can I come with?" Junpei eagerly asked.

The blue-eyed boy glanced over at the idiot before sighing. "Never mind. I'll go by myself then. I'll be back late to the dorm, Hamuko."

"You'll call me if you get lost though, right?" she worriedly frowned.

"Sure," the older twin noncommittally replied before picking up his bag. He made his way past Junpei but stopped for a moment to levelly look the taller teen in the eyes. "If you try anything on her, I'll snap your limbs."

Junpei's smile wavered as Minato left the room. He turned towards Hamuko nervously. "What is he, your nanny? What was that about?"

Hamuko chuckled to herself. "Sorry about that. He's quite the overprotective brother."

"Brother!?" He didn't think they'd be siblings, but it did sort of make sense since they both transferred at the same time and already knew each other. "Well, just to clear something up, I seriously didn't come over here to hit on you or anything. If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!"

"Thanks," the girl replied, happy to have made a new friend. Realizing she hadn't yet introduced herself yet, she brightly smiled at the teen and held out her hand. "Oh, I'm Hamuko by the way. It's nice to meet you, Junpei!"

"Well, Hamuko, my door's always open. So to speak." Junpei went back to his desk to grab his stuff before smiling back at his new friend. "Heheh, this is gonna be a fun year. I can feel it!"

"Yeah, I think so too!" Hamuko agreed, following him out the door.

* * *

Minato looked out at the evening sun and frowned. It had taken him a lot longer than he had thought to purchase the things he needed since he ended up lost multiple times. And thanks to the holdup at school with Junpei, he had to come without Hamuko.

 _Oh well,_ the boy thought as he set out the incense sticks he picked up at the shrine. _We'll be living here for a year so can visit anytime._ "Right, Mom? Dad?" The boy closed his eyes and tried to sort out his thoughts. Between the odd contract, the mysterious boy, and his initial encounter with Yukari, he didn't know what to make of the entire situation. He was only certain of one thing and that was to protect his younger sister. _After all,_ he thought, _it's my fault we're in this mess… Huh?_ Minato frowned to himself as he crossed his arms. "Was it really my fault all those years ago?" He tried to recall a memory, but found it impossible. _I know I try not to think about it, but why can't I remember?_

Minato remained there for quite awhile before a chime sounded, notifying him of a text. He quickly pulled out his phone, in case it was his sister. _"Dinner's in the fridge. –H"_

The boy quickly sent a reply. _"Thanks. Be back soon. –M"_

The teen decided now would be a good time to return so his sister wouldn't worry too much about his whereabouts. It took him a while to find the street he traversed that morning but on his way back to the dorm, he saw a jogging white-haired boy with a bandage on his face. Minato stood out of the older boy's way and watched as he passed him. His blue eyes widened when he saw a glimpse of another shadow, similar to the ones he saw hanging over Mitsuru and Yukari.

 _Please be awake._ Minato quickly ran the rest of the way to the dorm and struggled with his key. As he opened the door to the lounge, he heard someone shifting in the couch. Hoping it was Hamuko, he was about to give her a relieved greeting, but the person there spoke first.

"Back so soon, Aki—?" Mitsuru looked up to see the blue-haired boy staring blankly at her. "My mistake, Yuki. I mistook you for someone else." Minato didn't move from his spot but he nodded in understanding. "Welcome back. You're rather late. Arisato has already retired for the evening, but she asked me to inform you that she purchased a meal for you."

"Thank you," Minato responded as politely as he could. He hid his slight disappointment, but then again, his sister wasn't very good at staying up late. He walked over towards the kitchen area and reached for the refrigerator door before deciding he would rather go to bed. "I think I'll skip dinner and go to sleep for now. If I get hungry, I'll probably be down to eat later."

Mitsuru nodded and returned to her book, while Minato made his way to the stairs. He glanced at the upperclassmen once more, but sighed in relief when he didn't see any more hanging shadows.

 _I must be going out of my mind_ , he thought as he disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Mitsuru woke up when she heard a strange noise. It sounded like slurping, but not quite. It was rather feral, like a wolf tearing apart its meal. She sat up in the couch and shook sleep from her mind. Something wasn't right. It was dark and an eerie green light illuminated the world.

 _The Dark Hour, of course_ , she thought to herself. She must have fallen asleep waiting for Akihiko to return. That explains the blanket that was covering her. It didn't explain that atrocious noise though. _Could it be a Shadow?_

She reached for the rapier hidden behind the couch and was ready to attack whatever was in the kitchen, only to see a blue-haired boy sitting at the counter. Sensing someone was watching him, Minato stopped eating out of the take-out container and slowly turned around. By the time he saw his senior, Mitsuru had already returned her rapier to its proper hiding spot.

Minato carefully chewed his food before gulping down whatever was in his mouth. "Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?"

"It's fine," the redhead said, not directly looking at her underclassman. "It would be better if I properly slept in my bed after all." To try to divert the attention away from her, she frowned at the boy. "Why are you up so late, Yuki?"

"I tend to get hungry," he paused uncomfortably as the lights suddenly came on, "especially around this time at night."

Mitsuru blinked at him. "I see…" _How interesting…_ "Well, enjoy your dinner and have a good night." The boy nodded in thanks as he continued eating, albeit much more silently. Instead of returning to her room however, Mitsuru continued towards the fourth floor. It would seem that she would have to order the new Evokers earlier than she had previously thought.

* * *

 **Final Notes** **:** Yeah, I cut out the scene between Akihiko and Mitsuru. I just didn't think it was necessary. That bit about their school uniforms... Those are actual concerns of mine. Gekkoukan looks pretty strict and I know we want to have the important main characters to look unique, but really, I want to see the entire team in their proper uniforms... Okay... Maybe the winter jacket doesn't necessary go with Mitsuru's style, but doesn't she get cold during the winter? Oh, just a note, I actually do count Fuuka as a uniform infraction. Does she not own a plain white blouse? And kudos to you if you can figure out who Track Suit and Beige Vest are. I don't mean for it to be a game, but I get bored easily so... Eh.


	3. Journey Begins

**Author's Notes:** These first few chapters are a bit short. Once the actual game properly starts, things get longer, but even then, the length is determined by how I want to split the days.

* * *

~8 APRIL 2009~

Minato found the school day to be somewhat of a hassle. On one hand, the guy apparently seated next to him is none other than Junpei Iori. On the other, Minato finally found someone who shared his lifestyle of sleeping through class. Unfortunately, Junpei was called on in class, and that brought needless attention onto the blue-haired boy himself when he wound up giving his partner the correct answer.

The mixed expression of confusion and embarrassment on the usually deadpan boy's face due to the class murmuring in admiration of the boy was something Hamuko would have to tease him about later. And so, the lessons ended and afternoon came. Finally free from the burden of being a student, Minato quickly made it to Hamuko's desk before someone would no doubt steal her away again.

"Let's go," he said, picking up her bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

Hamuko was about to make a joke, but noticed her older brother was more tense than usual. She gave him an understanding nod as the two left campus together. "So where did you go yesterday?" she asked out of curiosity, thinking that may have been what was on her brother's mind.

"Moonlight Bridge." Minato looked over to the direction that led to Pawlonia Mall. "I wanted to visit."

"Oh…" The red-eyed girl hadn't thought her brother would actually go to the site of their parents' car accident without her. Then again, this was just like him to let her have fun while he went off on his own to brood. "Can we go visit today?"

"Sure," he said. Since they were already walking in the direction of the station, they decided they would walk to the bridge from Iwatodai. It was a bit farther, but Minato would rather not walk more than was necessary.

Hamuko thought it was strange that her brother didn't immediately put on his headphones once they got to the train station. Something was definitely wrong. "Did you want to talk to me about something, Minato?"

The blue-haired boy nodded his head towards the other students aboard the car they were in. "Later."

The two headed over to the Moonlight Bridge and Minato pulled out something from his bag. Curious, Hamuko watched and noticed it was a set of incense sticks. _Leave it to nii-san to be prepared_ , she thought as she accepted the lit incense.

Hamuko kneeled and found a crevice to put the incense. She put her hands together and prayed for a moment as she stared at the two lights forming around the gently rising smoke. They formed the figure of a man and woman and Hamuko couldn't help but smile at them. "Hey, Mom. Dad. I'm sorry I couldn't come yesterday. I was with a new friend." As she got up, she got a better view of the ghostly figures of their parents.

Minato turned away and simply listened to Hamuko as she spoke. He had already said everything he wanted to the day before so remained silent, cracking a smile as his sister held a light-hearted conversation with their deceased parents.

"Nii-san does look more like Dad, doesn't he?" Hamuko lightly laughed as Minato hid his blushing face. "Thanks, Dad, but I don't think I'm quite like Mom yet. The rest of the family is fine. Nao-chan's grown so much!" Minato slightly shifted at the mention of their younger sister. "We won't be able to see her as often often while we live here, but she and Gramps send their regards. Gramps promises he'll send something soon." The bright girl looked over towards Minato. "He's fine, Mom. He does his best to take care of the both of us. You don't have to worry since I'm looking after him too." She paused and her smile momentarily disappeared. "Yeah, I'll tell him. We love you too. We'll visit again soon."

When she finished, she stood next to her brother and leaned over the rail to get a better look out over the water. The two stood in silence for a long while to take in the tranquil view. When the sun was finally beginning to set, Minato spoke up. "So," he began, "what did Mom want to say?"

Hamuko took a few seconds to consider how to deliver the message to him. "She doesn't want you visiting the bridge every day," she finally stated.

The older brother lowered his gaze and frowned to himself. "Oh…"

The brunette sighed. "I don't want you coming here too much either," she admitted to her brother. "Minato… Nothing will change if you keep coming here."

The blue-haired teen's shoulders tensed up. "No," he reluctantly agreed. "Nothing will change…" He slowly lifted his head to look at his sister. "But where else can I go to look for answers besides here?"

Hamuko crossed her arms. "That's true… It's been almost ten years though… I'm not sure if you'll be able to discover anything here. Don't forget that we're all alone here without support from the Kuzunoha."

"Yeah, I know… This place is out of the agency's jurisdiction so we'll have to be careful." Minato brought his hand up to his mouth as he pondered over their situation. After a while, he blinked at the red-eyed girl. "Oh," he began in concern, "besides Mom and Dad have you seen anyone else so far?"

Hamuko thought back to the night they arrived and the Welcoming Ceremony. "I think I saw two, but I didn't get close enough to either to talk with them. How about you?"

"Shadows here and there. They always disappear though so I can't tell if it's all in my head or actually there."

The brunette turned to face her brother. "Really? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Like I said, I wasn't sure."

"Who did you see the shadows on?"

"Kirijo-senpai, Takeba, and a boy I passed yesterday." Minato leaned against the bridge and nodded over towards Gekkoukan High. "There's one more. A big one over the school."

"You think something's up?"

"What makes you ask that?"

"That night we arrived, a lot of it didn't make sense."

"Hrm," Minato responded in agreement. "Kirijo-senpai said it herself that the dorm was different but I think I'm starting to get it."

"Should we tell them then?" Hamuko stood up straight.

"About what?"

She stared at him in disbelief that he didn't understand what she was referring to. "About what I can see?" Hamuko clenched her fists as she couldn't look directly at her brother. "About what you can sense?" Her voice lost all its usual enthusiasm.

The change in her demeanor also affected Minato so he stared at the manmade island in silence before coming up with an answer. "I… don't think we should…" he hesitantly responded.

"Why not?" Hamuko asked in alarm. "They probably know something about _that_ and if it's related to this, you'll finally have a lead."

Minato sternly frowned at his sister. "You know what happens if I get anyone else involved, Hamuko." His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I… don't want to see any more people dying…"

The brunette sympathetically stared at her quiet older brother before shuffling closer to him. She brought her arms up and hugged him, resting her head against his chest. "Nii-san…"

Her actions surprised him a bit so he slightly tensed up. "Hamuko?"

"There's no reason to be afraid," she tried to reassure him. She could feel him trying to relax so tightened her embrace. "I know everything will definitely be alright."

"How?" Minato meekly asked.

"You said you're seeing 'shadows', right?" Hamuko asked, looking up at her brother. "That means they're not complete Reapers and death is still uncertain. This gives us a chance to avert fate if a full Reaper does eventually show itself to you, right?"

The blue-eyed boy blinked at her as he considered her words. "Huh… That's… a rather… logical argument coming from you." Hamuko let go of him and frowned at him, prompting the older brother to hastily clarify his statement. "Don't look at me like that! You usually say something emotionally cheesy to cheer me up!" he exclaimed. He paused and chuckled to himself. "Rather than using cold, hard logic, your optimism is surely your best point."

"Well, of course," Hamuko haughtily smirked. "It's better than your pessimistic view on life! Besides," she slightly frowned, "it's not enough for me to believe things will turn out alright. We have to make it work out," she said with a determined nod. "I'm sure that's possible between the two of us."

"The two of us?" Minato studied her expression for a moment before seriously nodding to himself. "That's right... Even after all this time, we're still together. So long as we have each other, things will definitely… absolutely be fine. That said," he held out his right hand to her, "let's make a promise to each other."

"A promise?"

The older twin nodded to her. "I want to be able to see things through," Minato faltered for a moment, "but only if you're by my side, Hamuko."

The girl's crimson eyes stared deeply into Minato's navy ones. "Nii-san..." She understood what he meant by those words but instead of accepting his hand, Hamuko tackled into her brother for another hug which was promptly returned. "It's a promise, Minato."

* * *

Yukari rolled her eyes at another of the dorm guest's lame puns and was relieved when she finally heard the front door's lock click. She turned her head and the smile on her face grew as Hamuko and Minato returned. "Oh, they're back!"

The twins looked at each other in confusion as they came into the lounge. They were greeted by a sophisticated gentleman with glasses and his long hair tied up. "So, these are our new guests…" the man began with a smile.

Minato studied him and felt a chill he never experienced before go through his body. The boy focused his gaze on the man's smile and an image of a laughing masked skull came into his mind. _That's not a normal Reaper! Just what is this?_

Yukari introduced them to the man and Minato cordially shook his hand. The man's smile never faded as he let go of the boy. "Good evening," he began. "My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. 'Ikutsuki'… Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes…" He extended an arm, gesturing to the couch. "Please, have a seat."

The twins sat on the couch next to Yukari and it was when they were finally settled that Hamuko noticed Minato's tense suspicion.

Once satisfied with his position, Ikutsuki continued. "I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

Minato immediately took this opportunity to attempt to clear the unsettling feeling currently lodged in the pit of his stomach. "Why are you here?"

Either the man didn't notice the cool edge to his tone or he was ignoring it, but Ikutsuki's smile remained in place as he answered. "To welcome you, of course. Well, to be honest, I do have other business here. Speaking of which… Where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"

Yukari looked up, slightly surprised from the question. "She's upstairs."

"As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello…" He turned back to the twins. "Is there anything else?"

Curious about the rest of the dorm, Hamuko asked her own question. "Who else lives here?"

Ikutsuki crossed one leg over the other and laced his fingers together. "There are only five students in this dorm: you two, Yukari here, Mitsuru, and a senior named Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along. Any other questions?"

Minato and Hamuko looked towards each other. The expression on Minato's face told the younger twin all she needed to know that was on his mind. _He knows something about the dorm, but I don't quite trust him._

Hamuko looked back over to Ikutsuki but didn't sense anything wrong. Still, she decided to remain silent about what she and her brother had been discussing about before they returned. "No, not really."

"Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me…" The man got to his feet. "You must be tired from all the excitement. You should both go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm!' Please forgive the bad pun." The man chuckled to himself as he left.

Minato inwardly groaned. _Great, a weird untrustworthy man who loves puns. Kill me now…_

Yukari noticed the blue-haired boy's grimace and sighed. "You'll get used to his lame jokes."

"Aw, I thought it was pretty good," Hamuko frowned.

"Wait, you actually enjoyed it?" Yukari frowned at her. When Hamuko simply grinned back at her, Yukari shook her head. "Well, I guess you'll get along with the Chairman then."

"I hope so," Hamuko crookedly smirked. "I can't help but cherish a sense of humor like that."

Minato let out another painful groan. "Urgh... Hamuko, no. Just no..."

"Killjoy," Hamuko smirked at her brother. "But the Chairman's right about getting enough sleep though," she yawned. "I'm going to bed now. Good night, everyone." She gave her brother one last look. _We'll discuss this tomorrow morning._ Minato nodded in understanding and waved good night as she left.

Minato stretched his arms before his eyes widened when he realized it was just Yukari and him remaining in the lounge. Thinking he was tired, Yukari gave him a concerned look. "If you're tired, you should sleep too."

The blue-eyed boy shook his head. "I'm a bit of an insomniac," he said as he sank back into the couch, bored.

"Oh… Then you wanna do some homework together?"

Seeing as how he had nothing else to do, Minato shrugged. "Whatever."

* * *

Later that night, Yukari sat in front of a monitor console. She uncomfortably stared at two screens, one of which was watching over a sleeping Hamuko and the other keeping track of a blue-haired boy digging through his mini refrigerator.

The door to the control room opened and Yukari immediately turned her head to see Ikutsuki coming in. "Working hard? So, how're they doing?"

Beside her, Mitsuru nodded to the man in acknowledgement. "Arisato went to bed a little while ago. She's asleep now. As for Yuki…" Both girls looked back to the monitor to see the boy setting up a late night meal on his desk. "Apparently, he habitually eats around this time of night." She turned back to the Chairman. "Do you think they're…?"

Ikutsuki held up a hand and lifted his head to look at the clock hanging on the wall. "Well, let's wait and see for now. The Dark Hour is approaching."

Soon, midnight hit and everything went dark. The three continued to watch the screen as the world went through its nightly transformation. Hamuko remained asleep in her bed while Minato paused as he lifted up his bowl. He turned his chair to face away from his desk as he stared at his dresser and ate in silence.

Ikutsuki watched the two carefully. "Hmm… She's still sleeping and he's still eating. The Dark Hour occurs every day at 12 midnight; you could say it's the 'hidden' hour. During this time, an ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs."

Yukari nodded. "Then, they must be…"

"As you can see," Ikutsuki pointed to Hamuko's screen, "they both retain their human form. Hamuko may be asleep, but she's definitely experiencing the Dark Hour, just like her brother. The only question that remains is whether or not they have the potential. Although, they must. If they didn't, they would've preyed on them by now."

A chill went down Yukari's spine. "Scary…"

Ikutsuki nodded in agreement. "In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days."

Mitsuru agreed. "Yes, Sir."

Yukari on the other hand frowned as she looked at Minato's monitor. "I feel kinda bad, though, spying on them like this…" She continued to watch the boy and as if he had heard her through the screen, Minato lifted his gaze and stared back into the camera.

* * *

"Master…" A voice called out for Minato. "Master…"

Minato felt himself be pulled through a door. He shielded his eyes from the bright light and when he could finally see again, he found himself sitting in a chair. Across from the boy was an old man with a very long nose and behind him stood two silver-haired individuals. Minato couldn't see them very well, but their glowing golden eyes watched him patiently. He heard shifting towards his left so he turned his head only to see Hamuko sitting in a chair beside him. She looked back at him with a similar look of surprise on her face, but the two only shrugged at each other.

The long-nosed man smiled at them. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young guests." He placed a hand on his chest as he introduced himself. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This is Elizabeth," he gestured to the left at his right who stepped forward to smile at Minato. At Igor's other side, the boy stepped forward and bowed his head towards Hamuko. "This is Theodore. They are residents here, like myself."

The two golden-eyed residents bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

Igor continued. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It's been years since we've had a guest." Igor waved his hand and two familiar sheets of paper appeared on the table. "Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place… Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique abilities, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return… that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices that you make."

The twins turned to each other and nodded. Hamuko smiled back at Igor as she replied for the two of them. "We understand."

Minato held his head as he tried to remember how they got here. "Is this a dream?"

Igor smiled at the blue-haired boy's observation. "Precisely… You are fast asleep in the real world as we speak. This visit of yours is merely a dream. However, you will come here of your own accord, sooner or later." Two flashes of light appeared before the guests. "Hold on to this…"

Minato reached out into the light and felt something materialize in his hand. It was a small key. Looking over to his sister, he noticed she had one too.

Igor waved goodbye to them as Minato felt himself slowly drifting away. "Until we meet again…"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Minato had only just picked up his chopsticks when the lights to his room turned off and the sickening green glow returned. He sighed and turned his seat around to face the rest of his room. His bland furniture was a lot more preferable than the window open to the bloody scene outside.

As he ate, his eyes wandered over his blank walls. _Kirijo-senpai said it was just temporary, but if things keep going the way they do, I think this'll actually be our home for the year,_ he thought to himself. _If that's the case, I wonder how Hamuko will design it this time._

The blue-haired boy ignored the packed boxes he had shoved against the wall and allowed his gaze to follow the perimeter of his room. He paused when he found a camera he had never noticed before, hanging from a corner. He stared at it for a while before noticing the lens focusing on him.

 _Wait a minute… The camera shouldn't be working right now._ Setting his late night meal aside, he started for his refrigerator and checked to see if it was running. _Nope. This is definitely not right._ Minato carefully made his way to his bed and immediately dropped to the ground. _Where's my toolbox?_

Meanwhile, in the control room, Yukari and Mitsuru were still discussing the possibility of the twins having the potential.

"I'm just saying that we shouldn't push them into joining us." Yukari gave the upperclassman her honest opinion about the two. "I mean, Hamuko will probably say yes, but I doubt her brother would be as eager. He's not very friendly towards other people. We were doing our homework together earlier and he barely said a thing."

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "He does seem rather difficult to work with. Just the other night—" She stopped speaking when she glanced back up to the screen to see Minato had disappeared. "Did he leave his room?"

Yukari was just as confused as the redhead. "No, I don't think so. We would have noticed. He couldn't have disappeared." As the junior reached for the console, a face suddenly popped up on screen, making her shriek. "A ghost!?"

"It's just Yuki," Mitsuru pointed out as calmly as she could, startled by the younger girl's reaction. She watched as the blue-eyed boy tapped the lens of the camera installed in his room. "He's sharper than I thought."

"What is he doing to the camera?" Yukari asked as the boy's arms seemed to wrap behind the frame.

Before Mitsuru could reply, the feed went dead. The older girl crossed her arms and frowned at what just happened. She fiddled with the console to try to remotely reactivate the camera, but nothing she did worked. "To be able to quickly disable the camera is quite the feat. I'm rather impressed." Glancing at the clock behind her, Mitsuru shook her head. "I'll speak to him about the camera later. For now, I suggest we retire for the night."

Back in Minato's bedroom, the boy carefully dismantled what he could of the security camera. "Oh wow," his eyes growing wide as he examined the pieces in his hand. "This is actually some cool stuff. I hope Kirijo won't mind if I 'borrow' this for a while."

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Still the introduction... But it's getting closer to their actual awakening. Oh, in my mind, Minato's a Shirogane. But also in my mind, Hamuko and him are twins so by proxy, Hamuko is also a Shirogane. Plus, I could totally picture the two of them being doting older siblings to Naoto. The young detective can look up to her older brother while still have a proper feminine perspective from Hamuko. It's adorable in my head since Minato calls her "Nao-kun" while Hamuko adamantly refers to her as "Nao-chan". Out of the Investigation Team, I bet Rise would totally call Naoto "Nao-kun". In a way, that's sort of like Hamuko calling Naoto that considering Laura Bailey voices both brunettes...


	4. Orpheus Awakens

**Author's Notes:** Well... I'm kinda depressed. I really can never get over what this game does... Well... Never mind that for now. Gotta start from the beginning. Speaking of which, we finally get to see the Personas. Took long enough.

* * *

~9 APRIL 2009~

Hamuko awoke with a daze. _That was some dream,_ she thought as she got ready for the day. She quickly grabbed her bag but noticed a strange blue key sitting on her nightstand. "Huh?" She picked it up and remembered the strange room she visited in her sleep. The girl absently put the Velvet Key into her pocket and looked at the clock. "I need to wake nii-san!"

Downstairs, Minato toyed with his Velvet Key. He let out a long yawn as he looped the key around the same lanyard he hung his MP3 player. _I suppose I shouldn't lose this._

He reached for his schoolbag but paused when he heard someone furiously running down the hall. He slowly made his way to the door and opened it to see his younger sister stare at him with surprise.

"Oh, you're already up?"

"Mm," he said as a greeting, not quite ready to be talking just yet.

Hamuko noticed the key hanging from his neck. "Oh! So you really were there with me!"

"Hm?" The older twin looked down at what she was pointing to. "Oh…"

Worried that her brother was still tired, she put a hand to his forehead. "Are you alright? You're not sick, are you?"

"Just sleepy," he reassured her. "Before going to bed, I saw…" The boy shook his head as he didn't want Hamuko involved with his peculiar hobbies, especially if it would land him in trouble. "Never mind. Let's go."

Although curious, the younger girl didn't question him any further and followed after him. "Okay, but about that dream… What did you think of that?"

"Same as the contract." Once downstairs, Minato went over to the counter island and reached for the bananas. He tossed one to his sister and quickly peeled one for himself.

"Yeah, I thought so." Hamuko deftly caught the fruit and opened the front door to leave. "Do you think this dorm might actually be haunted?" she joked.

Minato gave her a small smirk. "It could just be us," he shrugged.

Hamuko lightly laughed at his rather dark joke as the two walked toward the station. Once they reached the front gate, a voice behind them called out to them.

"What's up!?" Junpei ran towards them with a big smile on his face. "Man, today is the perfect day! The sky is blue… We're young… What more could we ask for!?"

Hamuko laughed. "You're full of energy."

"Of course!" Junpei leaned towards them. "Dude, listen to this… Oh, wait!" He seemed to remember something. "I'm not supposed to say anything! Sorry, man." He chuckled to himself.

"Whatever." Minato rolled his eyes but he noticed a dark cloud following Junpei. "I think you need rest," the blue-haired boy said, a slight frown of worry forming on his face.

"Dude, I'm not sick!" Junpei put an arm around Minato's shoulder. "Forget the ol' Junpei…! This is the REAL me! You should cheer up, too. After all, you've got ME as a friend."

Hamuko laughed at the two as Minato threw the capped boy's arm off of him. "Come on. We can't be late."

Class was uneventful, as usual. Minato and Junpei slept through Classic Literature and Ekoda was none the wiser as the two boys missed the entire lesson. Yukari shook her head at the two simpletons while Hamuko kept her laughter to herself.

After class, the twins made their way to the shoe lockers. Yukari looked up from her locker and smiled. "Oh hey! Are you guys heading back to the dorm?"

Minato nodded as he changed his shoes. Hamuko returned the brunette's smile. "Why don't we walk together?"

"Good idea! Have you two been to Paulownia Mall yet? I could show you around before we head back."

The blue-haired boy shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever." He should be fine with the extra walking since he pretty much slept through the entire school day.

"Great, let's go!"

The twins stared at the new area around them. Hamuko eagerly went towards the fountain in the middle of the mall and urged her brother to come closer. "This is so cool!"

Yukari nodded. "A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school. There's a karaoke box and a CD shop," she pointed at the various stores. "Oh, and a really great café, too!"

Minato perked up at the mention of coffee. _Café Chagall, huh?_ He stared at the small business before he noticed the closed store next door. "Escapade?"

Yukari turned to see what he was looking at. "There's also a nightclub, but that's kinda not for us yet."

"Since we're here, why not try out that café?" Hamuko suggested.

The other two agreed and after they finished, Minato took one last look around the mall to memorize its layout. It didn't take long for him to notice the strange alleyway located next to the police station. _Huh?_ He turned towards the girls to ask Yukari if there was anything there, but she was already occupied with talking to Hamuko about the coffee.

Not wanting to bother them, Minato decided to check it out for himself. He stood next to the police bulletin and was about to enter the alleyway himself when a lady's voice caught his attention. "Young man?"

Minato turned to face the suspicious voice but saw it was a strange woman carrying a crystal ball, motioning him to come over. _A fortune teller?_ He decided to humor the lady and approached her. "Yes?"

"Hmm…" The lady studied him carefully. "I feel a strange aura around you… In my mind, I see visions… People's past, present, and future… For most people, I see clearly, and far ahead… But you are different… Your future is filled with both blinding light and stagnant shadow… I can see but a small portion… What lies beyond that is shrouded in mystery. What a peculiar fate you carry… Now, young man… Bearer of light and shadow… If you wish to know more about the near future… come and talk to me… I will share my limited visions with you… Now, tell me… Would you like to know your fortune?"

Minato contemplated his answer for a moment. Before he could answer though, Hamuko's voice called out to him. "Minato!"

The fortune teller looked towards the red-eyed girl. "Ah… she is the same as you…"

Confused, the younger twin cast her brother a quizzical expression. "What does she mean?"

Yukari, following Hamuko, came over too to see if anything was wrong. "What's the holdup, Minato?"

"Perhaps it is too soon," the fortune teller said as she stood up from the fountain. She looked towards Minato once more. "If you are ever curious about what lies before you, I will be waiting… At Club Escapade… You're welcome anytime."

"I'll keep that in mind," Minato said, crossing his arms.

As soon as the lady was gone, Yukari eyed the boy dubiously. "You don't really believe in all that fortune telling stuff, do you?"

"Who knows?" The boy shrugged.

"What did she say to you?" Hamuko asked him.

He noticed the worry in his sister's eyes, but noticed a faint cloud of smoke growing behind her. He blinked his eyes but saw that the shadow had once again disappeared. "Nothing much," Minato lied. "Let's go."

"Yeah, it's starting to get late," Yukari pointed out.

He let the girls lead the way and stared at the two of them worriedly. _Are these shadows I'm seeing what the lady meant? Something big is going to happen soon. I can feel it…_

* * *

Yukari was grateful for the coffee she had earlier in the afternoon. All of this monitoring was beginning to get tiring. And with one of the cameras disabled, she had to be completely focused on the remaining screen so Ikutsuki could make certain whether or not the twins would be able to remain in the dorm. Still, something about watching someone sleep didn't bode well with the brunette.

Ikutsuki didn't seem to notice her discomfort as he stood behind her. "…How is she?"

Mitsuru appeared unfazed by the job too. "…The same as last night."

"Hmm… Very interesting. Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first… Memory loss… Disorientation… But, both subjects are rather unique. They haven't exhibited any of the common symptoms."

"But… we're treating them like guinea pigs," Yukari noted, the knot in her stomach tightening a bit.

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard they're both in your class. Wouldn't you be more comfortable with working with someone from the same grade? A female classmate, at that," he said pointing to Hamuko.

"Yeah, I guess." Yukari looked down though. "But, still…"

She was quickly pulled away from those thoughts as an emergency call came in. She watched as Mitsuru quickly answered. "Command room. Is that you, Akihiko?"

 _Akihiko-senpai?_ Yukari immediately readied herself for danger.

A male voice came from the speaker, out of breath. "You're not gonna believe this…! This thing is huge! Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk… It's chasing me… I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there."

"Does that mean," Yukari stood up in surprise, "he's bringing that thing here!?"

Mitsuru followed suit and turned towards Ikutsuki. "Mr. Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!"

Ikutsuki nodded. "R-right! Be careful!"

The two girls hurried downstairs and made it in time to see a white-haired senior enter the dorm. He slammed the door behind him before collapsing to his knee and grabbing his arm. "Agh…!"

Mitsuru was immediately at his side. "Akihiko!" She placed her rapier down and looked the boy over for any wounds.

"I'm alright," the boy reassured her before looking up at Yukari. "Get ready to be surprised… It'll be here any second."

"This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru scolded him.

Ikutsuki was coming down the stairs too and was relieved to see the boy safe. "It's one of them, Akihiko?"

"Yes," the boy nodded, "but not an ordinary one—" A slam on the door interrupted him.

Yukari couldn't help but let out a scream. "What the…!? You've gotta be kidding me!"

Assessing the situation, Mitsuru quickly took charge. "Mr. Chairman, please head for the command room! Takeba, go upstairs and wake them up! Then, escape out the back."

The junior looked at the older girl with worry and surprise. "But, what about you two?"

The redhead prepared her rapier. "We'll stop it here." She looked towards Akihiko as he got up. "You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight."

"Like I had a choice!" He turned to their junior. "What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"

Snapped out of her worry, Yukari turned towards the stairs. "I-I'm going!"

* * *

Minato stared at the bright full moon outside. Usually, it was a welcome sight, but tonight, the blue-haired boy felt an unsettling dread build within him. _What is up with today? Why can't I shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen?_

A white blur darted through the streets and Minato quickly focused on it. It was the same white-haired boy from a few days ago! The blue-haired boy's frown grew.

 _That must be Sanada_ , he deduced as the boy was running down the street towards the dormitory building. _Huh!?_ Minato's eyes grew wide when he noticed the large cloud following Akihiko. Unlike the previous shadowy figures, this one took on the shape of a cloaked beast. _The Reaper!?_ It was half complete compared to the ones Minato normally saw, but there was no mistaking that deathly figure following the senior.

It was then that the junior noticed a massive black blob coming after the senior. The older boy took out a gun and placed it against his head. Minato eyes grew wide as a massive blonde being emerged from nowhere, forcing the cloaked Reaper to disappear. The blue-haired junior wanted to watch some more but he could hear someone running down the stairs before the front door slammed shut. In that moment, Minato quickly retreated deeper into his room and searched for something to defend himself with.

"Come on," Minato let out a frustrated sigh as he tore through his boxes. "Where is it!?" He dug through all of his junk and finally saw what he was looking for. "Yes!"

Minato grabbed the polished black rod sticking up from the box and quickly pulled it free. He expertly unsheathed the sword and swung it a few times, before deeming it would have to do for now.

 _It's only supposed to be decorative, but I've no choice_ , he thought as he exited his room to wake up his sister.

He glanced towards the stairs and saw Yukari running down the hall to greet him. "Oh, good! You're up!" Once Minato reached her, she handed him a gun. "Take this, and let's go!"

Although questions began swimming in the boy's head, he nodded and led the way to his sister's room. First to the door, he began pounding his fist against it urgently. "Hamuko! Get up!"

Yukari caught up and fumbled with a set of keys. "Wake up!" She finally found the key she was looking for. "Sorry, I'm coming in!"

Hamuko groggily sat up in bed as she watched her brother and friend burst into her room. "What's wrong?" She was answered by the building violently shaking.

Minato impatiently grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled her along beside him. "Come on!" He cast a glance towards Yukari. "What's going on?"

Yukari gave the two an apologetic look as she looked down the hall. "I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!"

Finally aware of the danger, Hamuko shook sleep from her mind. "Okay!"

Minato exited the room first, and Yukari pointed him to where to go. "Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" As Hamuko followed, Yukari stopped her. "Wait!" Minato turned towards the girl impatiently and noticed Yukari was carrying a rather cumbersome pole. "Take this, just in case."

"A naginata?" Hamuko tested its weight as Minato raised an eyebrow at such a bothersome implement. He was reminded of their frantic situation as Yukari passed him.

"Okay, let's go! Follow me!"

The three were finally at the rear entrance of the dormitory. Minato took a look around the lounge and noticed the front door was ajar. He could hear yelling outside. _That sounds like Kirijo-senpai_ , he absently thought as Yukari was starting on opening the door.

"Alright, we should be safe now—" A beeping distracted her and the brunette quickly pulled out a communication receiver.

Mitsuru's voice sharply rang out. _"Takeba, do you read me!?"_

"Y-yes! I hear you!"

 _"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"_

"What!?" Yukari looked around but jumped when the back door shook as something banged against it. "Let's pull back!"

Minato led the way this time as he hurried up the stairs. _What the hell are we dealing with here!?_

Hamuko let out a yelp as a potted plant on the second floor lounge area fell. "Nii-san!"

"What was that!?" Yukari was surprised too. Before the other two could respond, they heard footsteps beneath them. "It's getting closer! K-keep moving! Hurry!"

Minato looked around the fourth floor, but seeing how hiding wouldn't help, he decided to go to the roof. He didn't bother to think about what to do afterwards as he thought he saw a blob behind them.

Yukari quickly locked the door to the roof behind them and let out a relieved sigh. "The door's locked. I think we're safe for now…" A growl behind the twins made her look towards them and she stiffened. "You gotta be kidding me…! It climbed up the wall!?"

"Hamuko!" The building shook as a masked blob with multiple arms and blades popped its head up to greet them. Minato quickly ran to his sister's side, blade out. He turned to Yukari for some assistance, but noticed she was frozen with fear. "Takeba!"

Yukari suddenly snapped out of it and tried to regain her composure. "That's the thing that attacked this place… We call them Shadows! O-oh yeah… I have to fight…" She reached for the gun beside her. "I… I can summon mine… No problem…" As she pointed the gun to her head, the Shadow swung an arm towards her, knocking the girl down. Her gun slid towards them and Hamuko absently picked it up.

Minato stared at the gun in his own hand and looked to his sister. "Just point it to your head and pull the trigger," he muttered as he recalled the white-haired boy doing the same thing earlier.

The image of the young boy the night before came into his mind. The boy smiled at him. "Go on," he whispered.

Hamuko looked at her brother as if he were crazy, but saw that he was no longer paying attention to her. She watched her brother calmly stand his ground and slowly lift the gun to his head. Hamuko did the same thing and at once, the twins pulled the trigger whilst whispering. "Persona."

A strange feeling enveloped her as a bionic girl with long orange hair appeared before her. Beside the girl was a white-haired bionic boy. Both shared the same red eyes and carried lyres on their backs. The two beings spoke softly to the two twins. _"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings…"_

"Orpheus…" Hamuko wistfully stared at her version of Orpheus before a shooting pain threatened to split her skull.

Beside her, Minato collapsed to his knees and grabbed his head. "Hrngh!"

Before them, both Orpheus convulsed as something tore them apart from the inside. Darkness erupted out of both Personas and combined to form a massive new Persona. Hamuko helped her brother up as the large beast charged towards the Shadow and ripped it to shreds with its bare hands and teeth. The floating coffins behind the Persona collided into each other as it continued its destruction. Soon, the Shadow was no more. The Persona lifted its head towards the full moon and let out a roar before splitting back into its original forms.

Hamuko reached out for the female Orpheus but she soon vanished. She turned to Minato and he only gave her a tired smile. The two started towards Yukari to help her as the girl tried to stand up. "Is it over…?"

Minato paused as he sensed a presence on the roof with them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few Shadows darting straight for the unarmed girl. Yukari noticed too and screamed, but before she knew it, the boy had darted in between them with Hamuko giving him support.

The boy calmly put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger once more. "Persona!" The male Orpheus appeared again and slammed his lyre into one while Minato himself skewered another with his sword.

Hamuko gracefully leapt up into the air and brought the blade of her naginata down on the last one. The two smiled at each other at a job well done before both sensed fatigue rushing into their bodies. Hamuko leaned against her brother, but soon he collapsed to the ground with her following after him.

Yukari quickly got to her feet and checked on the two. "Are you okay!? Come on! Say something!"

Hamuko was barely conscious as she heard the door to the roof open. A new voice reached her ears. "Are you alright!?"

Yukari shook Minato's tired body. "Can you hear me!? Please…! Answer me!"

Hamuko couldn't keep herself awake any longer. She wanted to make sure her brother was okay, but her body wouldn't listen. She let her eyes close and felt herself be whisked away.

* * *

When Hamuko next opened her eyes, she found herself sitting in chair, placed in the middle of a moving elevator. To her right, she noticed Minato was also coming to. "Nii-san!" she called out.

Minato's eyes immediately opened. He looked around and noticed Igor patiently waiting for them. Hamuko turned to look at the resident and saw the long-nosed man smiling.

"It's so nice to see you again. You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'. It's nothing to worry about, though. So, just relax." Surprisingly, both twins were able to do just that. "By the way… I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calls. That power is called a Persona… It is the manifestation of your psyche."

Hamuko was confused. "Persona?"

Beside her, Minato made a face. "My psyche?"

Igor solemnly nodded his head. "It may take some time to fully comprehend. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli… You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

"A mask?" Hamuko felt as though she was grasping the basics of it. Orpheus was a part of her and her brother's souls. And that thing that erupted from Orpheus, maybe that was a part of their souls too, but her head was still clouded from exhaustion to follow that line of thought through.

As though he could read her thoughts, Igor continued. "That being said, your power is still weak…" Hamuko nodded as that other Persona must have been too powerful for the twins to currently handle.

Minato frowned. "Whaddya mean 'weak'?"

Igor only smiled at the boy as if he were waiting for such a question. "When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Link—your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability." Minato's frown deepened. "Please remember that." The twins felt themselves being pulled away from the Velvet room. "Now, then… time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then… Farewell."

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Because of your recklessness, our numbers have been reduced to just me and Takeba." Mitsuru was livid as she scolded the white-haired boy before her.

Akihiko tried to shrug it off as the redhead examined his arm. "I had to do something! You saw the size of that Shadow!"

"Yes, but you were unable to finish it off. That fell onto Yuki and Arisato and look what became of them because of it."

The boxer smirked. "Yeah, they're tough. Their first Shadow and they pulled it off with flying colors."

"This isn't a game, Akihiko," Mitsuru glared at him.

The ice in her tone made Akihiko flinch. "Sorry…" He looked away from the redhead. "At least we got away with the barest of injuries."

"I wouldn't say that," Mitsuru sighed as she lightly squeezed Akihiko's arm.

The boy cried out in pain. "Easy!"

"Maybe you'll take this as a lesson for next time." Mitsuru picked up her rapier and left the command room, leaving Akihiko pouting by himself.

Akihiko tested his injured arm but winced from the pain. "This'll set me back a few weeks worth of training. Oh well, better stock up on some more protein!"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Not a very eventful bonus scene. I didn't really know what to put since I'm kind of limited in what the game gave me at this point. Oh well... Minor Mitsuru and Akihiko shipping ahoy. I did the best I could with the awakening scene and the way I wrote it made the most sense to me when it came to both Orpheus suddenly transforming. It's almost time for the game to properly start... I can't believe how long it's taking just for the introductory exposition to finish itself. Oh yeah, I cut out the command room scenes between Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Ikutsuki. Again, I felt it was unimportant and I really don't like cutting back and forth between scenes when it's not necessary. We know Minato and Hamuko are special. We also know something is strange with them. So obviously, that crazy Persona that erupted from them is going to be important later. I don't need Akihiko and Mitsuru pointing that out... Or maybe I'm just being lazy. Eh... Whatever.


	5. Joining SEES

**Author's Notes:** Still no proper gameplay... So slow... I slightly altered a detail during Orpheus' awakening. Okay, maybe I only added two words. It's not a big deal, but I got inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion so the monster Persona pretty much used its hands and teeth to defeat the giant Shadow. Woohoo crazy uncontrollable monsters that should never be invoked! Man, Eva is a huge mess...

* * *

~17 APRIL 2009~

Minato slowly opened his eyes and immediately regret doing so. The bright light of the sun reflected off the white curtains, sheets, and pretty much everything else in the room. He turned his head to the right and saw Hamuko was also just waking up. The younger twin slightly tensed up a bit as she gathered her bearings before she spotted the older boy staring at her in concern.

"You're both awake…!" Yukari's voice made the twins turn to look at the brunette sitting in a chair placed between their beds. "Um, how do you feel?" she asked as she stood up to get a better look at them.

Hamuko wore a slight frown as she looked around the white room. "Where are we…?"

"Thank goodness. You finally came to…" Yukari let out a relieved sigh. "How much sleep do you both need!? It's been a whole week!" She paused and sheepishly looked away. "I was so worried about you…" As if suddenly remember Hamuko's question, her eyes scanned the room too. "…Oh yeah, this is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station."

Minato tried to his best to stretch out his stiff neck. "Why are you here?"

"You saved my life, you know… so I couldn't just leave you here." Yukari pointed towards the door that was along the wall next to Hamuko's bed. "The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with the two of you. He said you were just exhausted… But, you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was?" She paused and gave the twins an apologetic expression. "Um… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything… Even though I was supposed to protect you, I… But, your power… It was amazing."

Slightly embarrassed, Minato turned away. "What'd we do?"

"The power you used… We call it 'Persona'," she explained.

Hamuko thought back to those black creatures. "What were those things?"

"You mean the Shadows? They're what we're fighting against." Yukari shook her head. "We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before… I, uh… I wanted to tell you that… I'm sorta like you."

The red-eyed twin sat up. "What do you mean?"

Her brother on the other hand frowned. "Why're you telling us this?"

Yukari gave them both a small smile. "My dad died in an accident when I was little…" Hamuko's eyes widened as she saw a faint light glow behind her friend. "And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms… You're both alone too, right? To be honest, I already know about your pasts… But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine… It was back in '99… There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened." Minato's frown disappeared as he and Hamuko looked to each other. "He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you." She let out a nervous laugh. "Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help… It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry… You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward…"

Hamuko shook her head. "It's not your fault!"

Minato nodded in agreement. "We were scared, too."

Yukari smiled at their kindness. "Really…? Thanks… But still," she shook her head. "And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from them… As soon as they wake up, I'll tell them the truth.' So thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time."

Hamuko lightly laughed. "It's fine, Yukari-san."

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up." She started for the door before turning back to Hamuko. "Oh, and, uh… You don't have to be formal around me or anything. Us second-year girls gotta stick up for each other, after all." She cast her light brown eyes towards Minato and nodded to him. "Same goes for you too."

"Whatever," the boy shrugged as he smirked, "Yukari."

Relieved the boy wasn't upset with her, Yukari smiled back. "Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you." The brunette finally reached the door. "B-bye."

Hamuko waved goodbye and before turning towards her brother. She was about to make a joke, but noticed he was staring at the closed door. "Is something the matter?"

"Hm?" Minato met his sister's gaze. "Sorry. I was just thinking. She said we were just like her, but I don't think that's quite accurate. I've always had you, so I was just thinking," he paused and sheepishly looked away, "if things had went differently back then during the accident, one of us would have really been alone."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Hamuko asked with a frown.

"Among other things," her brother replied, keeping in mind Yukari's story about an explosion ten years ago. _That timing can't be a coincidence... How is this related to Mom and Dad's accident though?_

* * *

~18 APRIL 2009~

Hamuko was careful to not get too far ahead from her brother as they returned to campus the following morning. She brightened as Yukari greeted them at the front gate. "Good morning!"

Yukari smiled at the two of them. "Mornin'. You seem to be doin' pretty well."

The red-eyed girl nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"That's good." Yukari looked at the boy trudging behind Hamuko. She quickly reached a hand out to catch him from falling. "Whoa! I've got you."

"Thanks," he said as Hamuko also lent a hand.

"How about you, Minato? Are you doing better than yesterday?" Yukari thought back to when the boy was discharged last night and how he stumbled through the hospital with a walker.

"Not really," the boy muttered, using his sister's shoulder for support.

"Wow, even after all that rest," Yukari tried to joke. "Is it difficult to walk?"

"I'll be fine," he replied as he managed to take a few steps without trouble.

Once she was sure her friend was okay on his own, Yukari nodded. "Hey, sorry to add this to your worries, but... Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to the two of you today. Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

"Whatever," Minato said as the two girls helped him to class.

By lunch, Minato regained most of his strength, and seeing how he needed to stretch his legs, he decided to head over to the Nurse's Office for a quick check-up. "Should I come with you?" Hamuko glanced up at him.

"I'll be fine," he reassured her. He noticed Yukari's dubious expression before subtly nodding over to Junpei who was coming over.

Catching the hint, Yukari immediately sided with the blue-haired boy. "Yeah, he's getting better. Besides, now we can have a girls-only talk."

"Uh, what?" Junpei's face fell. "Well, never mind then!" He turned to Minato with a smile. "Wanna have lunch with me, dude?"

Minato shook his head. "Sorry, I need some air."

"Right, you just got out of the hospital," Junpei gave him a sympathetic nod. "Well, if you need anything, just call your man Junpei."

"Whatever," the blue-haired boy shrugged as he exited the classroom.

Not having a clear idea of where the Nurse's Office was though, Minato slowly started towards the water fountains. He kept a hand on the wall for support and managed to get to his first objective without much trouble. Instead of taking a drink however, he stared at the stairs going up. Without thinking, the boy's foot went forward and pretty soon, he found himself on the roof.

Although slightly confused as to how he ended up here, he soon became distracted by the refreshing wind. He closed his eyes to better enjoy the fresh air. _There's a nice breeze today,_ he absently thought as the door closed behind him.

As it shut, the noise startled a person already on the roof. "Eep!"

Minato looked up and saw a timid girl with teal hair staring at him. _I've seen her before,_ Minato mused. His eyes widened when he saw the turquoise turtleneck sticking out from her school jacket. _That's right. Uniform Infraction Zero_.

He mentally frowned at himself for such an unflattering label, but it wasn't as if he knew the girl's name. In fact, it looked as though he intruded upon something he shouldn't have considering she was staring back at him with what seemed like fear in her wide dark brown eyes.

Minato awkwardly cleared his throat. "Sorry. I was looking for the Nurse's Office."

The girl blinks at him in mild confusion. "The Nurse's... Office?"

The blue-haired boy sheepishly averts his gaze. "Um... Yeah..." he shakily chuckles. "I... uh... It looks like I got lost... I'll just... be going now." He turned around, but his legs gave up on him as he attempted to take a step. Before he knew it, he collapsed onto the ground and saw black.

Once the boy regained his bearings, he opened his eyes only to the view of the infirmary's ceiling. His body naturally bolted up into a sitting position, but a gentle hand landed on his shoulder made him pause.

"You shouldn't get up so quickly!" Minato barely registered the soft voice speaking to him as he looked around in confusion. The girl from the roof stared at him with worried eyes.

He saw himself reflected in them and immediately felt bad for making her worry. Taking her advice, he slowly eased himself upright. "What happened?"

"You suddenly collapsed," the girl nervously looked down. "I brought you to the infirmary, but Mr. Edogawa said it was nothing serious. Oh," she straightened up and pointed at the medicine laid out on the bed tray, "But he did say you had to take that when you woke up."

Minato's hand went up to his forehead as he remembered his reason for wanting to go to the Nurse's Office. "Right," he nods before bravely swallowing the odd concoction the school's eccentric nurse prepared for him. When he finished, he takes a deep breath and waits for the medicine to settle before looking back at the girl still watching over him. "Sorry for the trouble. You're probably missing class because of me."

"Oh, no!" The girl jumped in surprise. "I only just brought you here. We should still have about twenty minutes left for lunch."

"Really?" He glanced at the wall clock and saw she was right. "Well, thank you for your help." The boy lightly stretched and slowly got to his feet. "Sorry for taking you away from your friends then."

The small smile on the girl's face quickly disappeared. "Oh, no… It's completely okay, really…"

Sensing he said something wrong, Minato awkwardly lowered his head. "I should repay you somehow," he attempted to cheer her up.

The girl's face went red. "You don't have to! I couldn't just leave you there! I wouldn't want to impose!"

"It's fine," Minato said with a gentle smile. "I just want to thank you for helping me and bringing me here. And I did disturb your lunch after all."

The girl's panic faded away. She slowly nodded in response, glad for the boy's kindness. She wanted to say something, but the infirmary door suddenly opened and a girl with light brown hair quickly stormed in.

"Minato Yuki!" Hamuko glared at the blue-haired boy leaning against the infirmary bed. "You idiot! How could you collapse again?"

"How'd you know I was here?" The smile that had been on Minato's face was quickly replaced with a mild frown.

"Junpei told me someone in class saw you were being carried to the infirmary. I hope you thanked that person properly." The red-eyed girl paused when she saw that her brother was glaring at her. She paused before noticing he shifted his eyes towards the brown-eyed girl in the room. The younger twin grabbed the girl's hand. "Oh! You must have been the one to help him. Thank you so much! I was beginning to get worried. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

The girl seemed uncomfortable with Hamuko's actions. "Oh, no. He wasn't—um, it wasn't any trouble!" She looked over towards the clock and bowed her head. "I should return to class now." She gave Minato one last look before leaving. "I hope you're better soon."

Hamuko stared after the girl in confusion. "Huh… Was it something I said?"

Minato let out a disgruntled sigh. "It was something you did. In particular, you scared her off the moment you came in." The older twin shook his head. "I didn't even get her name," he said, voice laden with regret.

The red-eyed girl smiled mischievously. "Did she catch your fancy, nii-san?"

"No," the boy bluntly snapped. "I just couldn't properly thank her," his eyes narrowed on his sister, "thanks to you." He decided to let it go though and started for the door. "Let's just go. I'm pretty sure you didn't finish your lunch yet. Sorry for that."

* * *

After school ended, Minato and Hamuko made their way to the fourth floor of their dorm as asked. They saw Yukari waiting for them already and the girl smiled.

"Oh! There you are!" She worriedly examined Minato. "You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine," Minato huffily responded. "I'm still standing, aren't I?"

"If you say so…" Yukari was still dubious, but Hamuko shook her head. _I guess I don't need to worry then_ , the junior thought as she led them into the control room.

Ikutsuki smiled when he saw the twins, sending a chill through Minato. "Ah, there you are. I'm glad that you're okay. The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. Please, have a seat." The three sat down and Hamuko noticed her brother was a bit too close for her liking but immediately sensed his discomfort. "Oh, before that. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." Ikutsuki gestured to the white-haired boy standing beside Mitsuru.

"How ya doin'?" The older boy smirked at them.

"Okay," Ikutsuki turned back to the twins, "let me start off by asking you this… Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"

Minato and Hamuko looked towards each other. Of course they knew that, but how much were they willing to reveal? Minato frowned a bit. _Okay, I'll bite._ "No," he replied plainly.

Hamuko's eyebrows scrunched together as she played along with her brother. "…Excuse me?"

Mitsuru lightly chuckled. "I'm not surprised by your reaction. However, you've already experienced this truth firsthand." She levelly stared at them as she continued. "Do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs… The streetlights went out… Nothing was working… There were coffins everywhere… Didn't it feel like you were in a different time…? That's the Dark Hour—a time period hidden between one day and the next."

 _Dark Hour,_ Minato thought. _So that's what it's called._ He continued to feign ignorance however. "Hidden?" He shook his head. "I don't get it."

Ikutsuki nodded in understanding. "I know how you feel. Who would believe such a story? But I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of. But, the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night, as the clock strikes twelve. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come."

Akihiko stared at them with determined grey eyes. "Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins. But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting." He nodded towards Minato. "You saw those creatures. We call them 'Shadows'. They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sound exciting, huh?" The boy's smirk grew as his eyes gleamed in anticipation.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru snapped at him. "Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!"

Ikutsuki calmed the two. "Now, now. He does his work well." He looked over toward the twins. "Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club adviser."

Mitsuru stopped glaring at Akihiko for the moment as she too faced the twins. "A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

Minato felt dread build up within him. _I see where this is going…_ "How do you fight them? What about the police?"

The redhead frowned sadly. "Unfortunately, the police can't do anything during the Dark Hour…"

Ikutsuki nodded. "Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona'—the power you both used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means," he extended both his arms to gesture to the entire group, "it's all up to you guys."

"I see," Minato said, taking it all in.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand," Ikutsuki smiled. It did nothing to dispel the image of a skull from the boy's mind though.

Not noticing the boy's suspicious gaze on the man, Mitsuru and Akihiko approached the two briefcases on the table. Mitsuru nodded towards the other senior and they both opened the cases to reveal the guns the twins had used previously. "What he's trying to say is," she began, "we want you to join us. We've prepared Evokers for the both of you. We'd like you to lend us your strength."

Minato stared at the Evoker before him. A part of him refused to accept the offering, but another part knew it was necessary. While he chose to remain still, to his left, Hamuko reached out for her Evoker. He fully turned his head towards her and saw her red eyes fill with determination. It was the same expression Akihiko just wore.

"Alright," the girl responded with a nod.

Yukari let out the breath she had been holding. "Welcome aboard!" She turned towards Minato expectantly and her smile slightly faltered.

Minato lowered his gaze back to the Evoker. "I'm not sure I'm ready," he honestly revealed.

"Don't think too much," Akihiko advised. "Just hang out with us for a while."

Mitsuru shook her head at the boy's words but looked at Minato pleadingly. "Please, we need your help."

"Wait," Yukari was beginning to worry, "you can't ask him like that! Who could say no…? I mean, it'd be nice if he joined, but…"

Minato was grateful for his friend's concern. He finally made his choice as he lifted the cold metal contraption from its case. "Whatever." He absentmindedly pressed the gun to the side of his head. "I don't mind."

Yukari looked at him with confusion. "Does that mean you accept?" She let out a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you'd say no… I feel much better now."

Mitsuru nodded in agreement to the junior's words. "I really appreciate it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Satisfied, Ikutsuki sank into his seat. "Thank you so much. I'm really glad. Oh, I almost forgot." The twins looked towards him. "About your room assignments… Why don't you just stay here, in your current rooms? I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end." He chuckled to himself as if he had just told a joke.

Yukari knit her eyebrows together. "Holdup? But wasn't that—Oh, never mind… It doesn't matter anymore…"

Minato raised an eyebrow, but soon he heard a mysterious ring in his head. The image of a tarot card flashed before his eyes and he made out the number zero. _Fool?_

A voice echoed within his mind from the card. _"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana."_

"A Social Link," Hamuko absently muttered.

The only one to hear her, Minato stared at the Evoker in his hand. _So Hamuko felt it too._ His hand tightened around the gun-shaped machine. _I made a promise, I guess. We'll definitely see this through._

* * *

That night, Minato lay awake in his bed as the Dark Hour arrived. He wasn't particularly hungry given all the new information he had been told that day. No, it was best if he just slowly took it all in. Maybe he could get closer to the answer he was looking for.

The voice of a young boy quickly snapped him out of his reverie though. "Hi, how are you?"

Minato darted up in his bed, resulting in the boy chuckling. The older boy responded with a suspicious glare. "And you are…?"

"We've met before," the boy smiled back at him.

"How'd you get in here?"

The dark-haired boy placed a hand over his own heart. "I'm always with you…" His smile never wavered as he stared deeply into Minato's eyes. "Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

"The end?"

The boy nodded. "The end of everything." He furrowed his eyebrows. "But to be honest, I don't really know what it is."

 _That's not very helpful_ , Minato thought but he felt himself speak. "Well, thanks anyways." The teen was surprised by his own words.

Whatever Minato thought didn't stop the boy from laughing though. "I wasn't expecting you to thank me. But you're welcome." He paused and tilted his head to the side. "That… is what I'm supposed to say, right?"

Somehow, Minato was beginning to feel more at ease. Whoever this boy was, despite his creepiness, his presence was calming and it was much better than dealing with the discomfort Ikutsuki had given him earlier. "That's right," Minato nodded.

The boy seemed happy with Minato's answer before he noticed something about the older teen. "Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power… and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none… It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up. Do you remember when we first met?" Minato nodded. "I expect you to honor your commitment. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me…" The older boy frowned at this. "Okay then, see you later."

As quickly as he had appeared, the boy was suddenly gone as was the Dark Hour, leaving Minato within the darkness of his room. He slowly reclined back into his bed and stared at the ceiling for a while longer. _And the questions continue to build… I guess I should leave them for another day._ With that, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"You know, I'm actually a bit jealous," Yukari frowned at Hamuko as they ate their lunch together. "I wish I had an older brother to look after me. You're lucky to have him."

"Yeah," Hamuko smiled softly to herself. "He's the best anyone could ever ask for. I just wish he'd take better care of himself rather than focus all his energy on me. There are times when I feel like I'm the older twin because he doesn't take care of himself enough."

At that moment, Junpei violently slid the classroom door open. "Hamuko!"

As she turned to look at him, she saw that he was slightly disheveled from running through the halls. "Is something wrong, Junpei?"

"It's your brother! Kaz told me he saw a girl helping him to the infirmary!"

Hamuko was immediately on her feet. She shook her head as she gave Yukari an apologetic smile. "Yeah, definitely times like these." She quickly followed Junpei out into the hall.

Seeing as her friends were leaving without her, Yukari decided to pursue them. Junpei nervously put distance between himself and Hamuko the closer they got to the infirmary and Yukari noticed this. She could sense the angry worry her red-eyed friend exuded so decided to stay back with Junpei.

"Man, she's steamed," Junpei nervously chuckled.

"Yeah. I almost feel bad for Minato," Yukari nodded. The two jumped when Hamuko exploded into the infirmary, yelling Minato's full name for the entire campus to hear. Yukari nervously chuckled to herself as she heard the younger twin berate her older brother. _On the other hand, maybe being an only child isn't so bad after all._ She motioned over to Junpei. "We should let them be."

"Yeah," Junpei shivered. "I really do feel bad, but I was worried." The boy didn't let it get him down though. "Man, Minato's lucky to have such a cute little sister to look after him."

"They both are," Yukari smiled. "But I don't think I could put up with the nonsense of having a brother, especially when I already have you to deal with during school hours."

Junpei pretended as if Yukari had shot his heart with an arrow. "Oh, I'm hurt! Is that how you see me, Yuka-tan? I'll have you know I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

Yukari laughed. "Sure you are, Stupei." The two laughed together before pausing when Hamuko reappeared, dragging her brother behind her.

The capped boy gave the red-eyed girl a confused look as she stormed past them. "Is everything okay?"

Hamuko didn't seem to notice them as she continued towards their classroom. "I swear one of these days I'll get you to eat proper meals during the day. And I packed you a lunch today and everything!"

Minato noticed their two friends and weakly waved. He groaned when Hamuko pointed up the flight of stairs they had to take to reach their classroom. "So hungry," he complained.

"Then hurry up and get! Lunch will be ending soon!"

Yukari and Junpei shared one last smile before helping their friend up the stairs.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Not much to say about this chapter... Well, I do have some complaints... I think my major gripe against Yukari is that the game forces her down your throat. If it was a bit more subtle or ambiguous, I'd be fine. It's not so much as a problem with her character, but rather the timing of it all. I know it doesn't fit anywhere else in the game her telling the protagonists about the accident from now until the summer portion, but seriously, after a long sleep in the hospital, who wants to be bombarded by tragic backstory? I think she'd make an awesome friend though. Her usefulness in Tartarus is a different story... I have mixed feelings about her overall... She's either a very useful healer or she's very good at suicide... It's sad, really...


	6. Tartarus Rises

**Author's Notes:** And finally we hit actual gameplay. Well, it's a tutorial, but close enough.

* * *

~20 APRIL 2009~

Yukari let out an audible yawn as she turned towards Minato. "I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there…" She saw Minato stretching towards the ceiling and laughed. "Something tells me you did."

"Whatever," the boy responded. He stood up from his seat and was about to reach over for his bag when the classroom door opened.

"Oh, it's Mitsuru-senpai," Hamuko noticed.

The redhead looked around the classroom before seeing the trio of friends. "Can I have a minute?" The three nodded and she wasted no time. "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." As quickly as she arrived, she left, leaving the three juniors slightly confused.

"That was fast," Hamuko finally said.

Yukari frowned. "She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us."

Behind them, Junpei looked at the girl with a smirk. "Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?"

Hamuko watched as her friend threw the boy a dirty look. Yukari stopped though before turning towards the classroom door. "Well, it's not that I don't like her… She's just…" Realizing who it was she was talking to, she shook her head. "N-never mind. Let's go." She dragged the twins behind her as they left.

Things barely registered for the slightly groggy Minato but he quickly grabbed his bag. He turned towards Hamuko and knit his eyebrows together, but Hamuko shrugged back at him. The entire time they were on the monorail, Hamuko kept a worried eye on Yukari and noticed the faint ghost of a man watching the three of them from afar.

Minato noticed his sister staring at a blank space in the car. "Someone there?" he asked, careful not to let Yukari hear. It was just a precaution as he doubt their friend was paying much attention to them, but it never hurt to be careful.

Hamuko nodded her head as the ghostly man noticed that she could see him. The pale figure made a motion towards the girl beside her and she explained to Minato what he wanted. "He's worried."

"Oh," the boy replied.

The two worriedly stared at their friend and Yukari finally noticed. "Huh? What's wrong?" The train finally stopped and as they stepped out onto the station, Yukari realized she practically took Minato and Hamuko with her against their will. "Oh! Sorry about that," she said, not turning away from the two. "A-about earlier… It's not that I don't like her or anything, y'know?" Minato was slightly confused and Yukari noticed. "Oh, I'm talking about Mitsuru-senpai…" An annoyed expression suddenly appeared on her face. "Why's Junpei always have to talk about stuff that isn't any of his business, huh!? Plus, he says it all in the creepiest, most perverted way. He's like the poster boy for sexual harassment. You know, last year he—"

"Yeah, this isn't something I should be listening to," Minato quickly cut her off. "If you two need me, I'll be… home… I guess." He threw his bag over his shoulder and cast Hamuko a knowing glance before departing.

"Right…" Yukari let out a nervous chuckle. "Sorry." She turned back to Hamuko staring at her worriedly. "Hey, what's with that look?"

"You were thinking about your dad, weren't you?" the red-eyed girl asked.

"Huh? How did you—?" Yukari stopped herself. "I guess it doesn't matter how you knew, but yeah, I was."

"Come on," Hamuko smiled gently. "Let's get some takoyaki before going home. My treat!"

"Thanks," Yukari said with a small smile.

The two sat on a nearby bench once they received their order of the freshly fried octopus balls. Hamuko put her hands together and prayed to herself. Curious, Yukari asked her what she was doing. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Just giving an offering to the spirits," Hamuko said, smiling at the ghostly man that had been following them. "I think it's something nice to do every once in a while. Don't you think? This way, I don't let my parents worry too much about how I'm doing."

"Sure, I guess." Although Yukari didn't quite understand, she put her hands together and closed her eyes.

Hamuko watched as the man placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. He seemed grateful for this and the red-eyed girl nodded in response. When Yukari was done, the two began eating. Hamuko gave the other brunette some time before finally speaking. "Hey, Yukari? You were close to your dad, weren't you?"

The question came seemingly out of nowhere, but Yukari nodded her head sadly. "Yeah." She tried to cheer herself up as she let out a shaky laugh. "You could say I was a bit of a daddy's girl."

"I see," Hamuko nodded. "I bet he loves you a lot."

"He did," Yukari smiled. "You know, this might sound a bit weird, but sometimes, I get the feeling that he's watching over me. With this Dark Hour stuff, I know he'd want me to be strong."

"No, that's not weird." The red-eyed girl looked over towards Yukari's father and saw that he was smiling proudly at his daughter. "I think that's what he wants too. It's our job to end the Dark Hour."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" The girl frowned. "I joined for such a selfish reason. I just wanted to know more about what happened when my dad died. It's hard for me to face Mitsuru-senpai when I know her family had something to do with it, but I don't dislike her. It's just… I don't know." She looked up at Hamuko hopefully. "You get what I'm saying though, right? You're the same as me, after all."

Hamuko slightly frowned as she remembered her brother's words from before. "You said that before at the hospital. After you left, nii-san said you were a bit wrong. After all, we always had each other. It must have been hard for you to always be on your own."

Yukari said nothing as she lowered her gaze. "I guess you wouldn't really understand then, huh?"

"Probably not, but that doesn't mean you have to always be alone," Hamuko pointed out. "After all, we're friends, aren't we? And even though nii-san won't admit it, he's your friend too. That's why he went on ahead of us."

This put a smile on Yukari's face. "Even he noticed, huh?"

"I told you before that he's the best older brother anyone could ever want. You might not have a brother to count on, but you have us." Hamuko winked at Yukari. "Us second year girls gotta stick up for each other, right?"

"Is that really how I sound like?" Yukari teased her red-eyed friend. The two laughed before Yukari managed to pull herself together. "Listen, thanks for today. Tell your brother I said thanks too."

Hamuko lightly laughed. "I don't know if he'd accept it but I'll tell him."

* * *

 _"Some dances wanna put you in a trance~"_ Minato silently counted to the song's beat as he waited for the girls to return. _"Let's party, let the boogie hit your body~"_ His entire body was shaking as he impatiently stared at the stairs. When he caught a glimpse of his sister coming up towards him, he got to his feet and stopped his player. He finished off the rest of his searing hot coffee before throwing it away. "So?" He spoke low enough so Yukari couldn't hear.

"I took care of it," Hamuko nodded.

"Good." He gave Yukari a deadpan stare as she came towards him. "You two sure took your sweet time."

"Girl talk takes a while, you know?" Yukari smirked at him.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Hamuko noticed her brother was shaking. "Nervous?"

 _Sure, let's go with that_. "A little." He didn't look at her as he replied and instead turned to face the doors leading to the command room. Mitsuru and Akihiko went in just a few moments earlier so they weren't late, but he'd rather get this over with quickly. The blue-haired boy opened the door and let the girls enter first.

"It's okay to leave the door open, Yuki," Mitsuru nodded to him before greeting the girls. Minato nervously obeyed as he propped it open. The redheard turned towards the two younger girls. "Welcome back."

"We were waiting for you." The white-haired senior looked up from his phone as he received a text. "There's someone I want to introduce."

"Huh?" Yukari was a bit confused as she heard the front door to the dorm slam shut. Someone was coming up the steps and judging from the grunting, they were carrying something heavy.

Akihiko looked towards the door and called out to this new person. "Hey, hurry up."

A familiar voice called up to them. "Hold your horses… This is freakin' heavy."

Minato crossed his arms as he recognized the voice to be Junpei's. _About time. I was beginning to wonder when he'd join us._ Minato greeted him with a smirk as Junpei chuckled.

"Wassup?"

"J-Junpei!?" Yukari shook her head. "Why are YOU here!?"

Akihiko smirked at the younger boy. "This is Junpei Iori from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today."

Yukari still couldn't believe it. "He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"I bumped into him the other night," Akihiko explained. "He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently… I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

"You have the potential!?" Yukari still couldn't believe it as she stared at the capped boy, coming up the stairs. "For real!?"

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store," Junpei wore a shaky smile as he remembered how Akihiko discovered him, "surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but… man, that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal… in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

Hamuko tried to remember back to when she first experienced the Dark Hour. "I was okay, though." She looked to Minato to confirm, but Junpei chuckled at her.

"Heeey, don't feel bad! It happens to all us Persona-users," the capped boy reassured her. He looked to Minato. "Right?"

Minato tried to recall too, but shook his head. "Didn't happen to us."

Junpei gave him a frown. "Big deal. It happens to everyone else." He looked at the others standing in the room with wide eyes. "But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right!? Havin' me join…" He smirked at Hamuko and Yukari. "It'd be nice to have another guy around too, wouldn't it?"

"Huh?" Yukari looked at him. "Uh, y-yeah…"

Junpei looked back towards Minato. "So anyway, glad to join the team."

"Let's do our best," Hamuko said with a smile.

"You can count on me!" he winked back at her.

Akihiko nodded and brought everyone back to order. "Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready…"

Junpei looked at their senior in surprise. "Ooh, we're gonna go do something? Sweetness!"

"The Chairman will be here to give us the details soon, so be ready."

As if on cue, Ikutsuki entered the room and smiled at the group of students awaiting his arrival. "I see everybody's here. I'd like your undivided attention." He gestured for everyone to take a seat.

Minato never took his eyes off the man as he waited for everyone to be seated before him. In the end, the couch only had enough space for the other three juniors. Ikutsuki took the armchair situated at the edge of the table since he would be the one speaking. Mitsuru positioned herself in the red cushioned seat to the man's right and Akihiko immediately sat beside her. This left Minato to sit at Akihiko's other side, right across from his sister on the couch.

 _Perfect_ , Minato thought as it gave him a good view of everyone else and he was given the opportunity to avoid sitting next to anyone. Given the way he was feeling, he wouldn't know if he could stop his body from shaking. _From excitement and nervousness,_ Minato convinced himself. _Not freezing cold… And definitely not fear._ The boy's blue eyes narrowed on the Chairman as he lifted his right leg over his left knee and crossed his arms, ready to begin with the meeting.

Satisfied with the arrangements, Ikutsuki nodded his head and began the meeting. "For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But that number recently jumped to six. Therefore, starting tonight at 12:00 AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

Junpei made a face. "Tartarus…? What's that? Sounds like toothpaste."

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" Yukari turned to look at the boy.

The boy looked back at her. "Hm..?"

"It's no surprise," Ikutsuki stated, "since it only appears during the Dark Hour."

"The Dark Hour…?" Being new, Junpei still didn't quite have a handle on things.

Akihiko nodded at him. "Just like the Shadows… Interesting, huh?" He smiled eagerly. "And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest."

"Whoa…" Junpei's eyes went wide. "Their nest, huh…?"

"But, senpai…" Yukari gave Akihiko a worried look. "What about your injury?"

Akihiko sheepishly looked down at his arm as Mitsuru glared at him. "Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet," she sternly made sure he was listening to her, "he'll only come as far as the entrance.'

"Yeah, I know." Akihiko seemed a bit disappointed, but he was in no position to disobey.

"Relax," Junpei said confidently. "I've got your backs."

"I'm not so sure about this," Yukari remarked.

Mitsuru turned to Ikutsuki. "What about you, Mr. Chairman?"

"I'll stay here," he replied. "As you know, I can't summon a Persona…"

Minato squinted his eyes at the man as he studied the unique Reaper following him. Instead of the normal, cloaked grim reaper he often saw, this one resembled a jester more than a proper harbinger of death. The skull-faced joker seemed to be laughing at him, but Minato said nothing as everyone was beginning to file out of the command room.

"Minato?" Hamuko noticed he was trailing behind the rest of the group. "Is something wrong?"

"Just remembering a bad joke," he said with a grimace. _A really bad one with Death written all over it. But is it taunting me or Ikutsuki?_

* * *

Junpei stared up at their high school as they waited outside its locked gates. "This is it? THIS is the place? Why HERE?"

Akihiko checked the time on his phone. "Just wait a few minutes. It's almost midnight."

As the scene around them changed, signaling the start of the Dark Hour, the three newest members of SEES stared in disbelief as their high school suddenly grew in height. Different parts of the building shifted as it towered over them menacingly.

Mitsuru gave them the time needed to let it sink in. "This is Tartarus—the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour."

"Labyrinth…?" Junpei was becoming less certain about this expedition. "What are you talking about!? What happened to our school!?"

"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal," Mitsuru reassured him.

"This is the 'nest' you were talking about!?" Junpei turned to Akihiko. "But, why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?"

Mitsuru didn't answer, resulting in Yukari giving their senior a dubious frown.

Junpei shook his head. "You don't know, either?"

Minato stared up at Tartarus and watched as a floating specter circled the higher floors of the tower. _Another new type of Reaper I've never seen_ , he mused. He could hear the sound of chains clinking together in the distance and suppressed the chill that was threatening to run down his spin. _Hard to believe Kirijo-senpai doesn't know why, given the school her family owns is being haunted by a Reaper._ He looked back towards Mitsuru as she answered Junpei.

"No," the redhead replied.

 _Yeah, she's lying_ , Minato thought, but he didn't press her. Hamuko and Yukari seemed to notice too, but the two girls also said nothing.

Yukari tried to come to the senior's defense. "I'm sure it's complicated."

 _You're hiding something from me too,_ Minato decided. He looked over to Hamuko and saw sympathetic understanding reflected in her eyes. _So, it's personal… I guess I'll have to leave it at that then._ He put his hands in his pocket and turned towards the monstrous tower. The boy looked over towards Akihiko who nodded at Yukari.

"Well, maybe now we'll find the answers to our questions. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it?" He was shaking just thinking about it. "There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour…"

Mitsuru shook her head at him. "Akihiko. I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today."

"I know," he said with a frown. "You don't have to remind me."

As they entered the lobby, Junpei let out an impressed whistle. "Whoa… It's just as cool on the inside…"

"But, it sure is creepy," Yukari commented.

Mitsuru approached some strange equipment and began setting up a small headquarters for herself. "This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs."

Akihiko nodded. "First, we'll have you four get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What!?" Yukari exclaimed in surprise. "By ourselves!?"

"We're not asking you to go very far," Mitsuru stated, "and I'll be feeding you information from here."

Akihiko looked at the four juniors. "We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions."

Junpei perked up at the idea of leading the team. "For real? One of us? Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!"

Akihiko ignored the capped boy and looked between the two twins. _Ah, jeez. This is actually hard. On one hand, Hamuko is the more forward of the two, but Minato is a natural at evoking his Persona._ Unable to make a decision himself, he gave the siblings a serious expression and nodded. "Minato, Hamuko… You're in charge. I'll leave it to you two to sort who has the higher command."

Junpei's face fell. "W-wait, wha..? Why them!? She's a girl," he pointed to Hamuko, "and he doesn't look like a leader!" Junpei flinched when he noticed Minato was glaring at him for trying to insult his sister.

Yukari frowned at Junpei. "Well, they have fought them before…"

"Seriously?" Junpei looked to the twins with surprise.

"That's true," Akihiko stated, "but there's another reason. You two," he turned to Yukari and Junpei. Before the two juniors knew it, Akihiko pulled out his Evoker and pointed it to his own head. "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like they can?"

Surprised by the older boy's actions, Junpei nervously answered. "Y-yeah, of course I can!"

Yukari frowned as she remembered the events of the previous night. "I think so."

"These are Shadows we're talking about here," Akihiko drilled them. "Without your Persona, you're screwed."

"I'm aware of that," Yukari nodded, regaining some confidence.

"All right," Akihiko nodded at the small team. "Let's head inside. Are you ready?"

Hamuko and Minato nodded to each other. The red-eyed girl lifted her naginata from the ground and smiled to their senior. "You betcha!"

Akihiko chuckled at her enthusiasm. "That's the spirit."

The four gathered at the foot of the steps leading to the proper entrance into the labyrinth when Minato felt something faintly tug at his soul. He turned to face the lobby and suddenly noticed a strange blue door just sitting there.

Yukari noticed he was spacing out and absently walking towards the dark corner of the lobby. "What's the matter?"

Hamuko felt the pull too and saw the door. Without realizing it, she had taken out her Velvet Key and it was shining. Minato fit his key into the door and the twins were sucked into the Velvet Room.

Igor greeted them with a smile. "I've been waiting for you. The time has come for you to wield your powers. The tower that you are about to venture into… How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your powers."

Minato used this as a chance to gather more information. "About that door…"

Igor's smile never wavered. "It leads here, although no one but you can see it."

"I see." Minato's mind was racing. _Is this also a part of the 'contract'?_

Hamuko brought the discussion back to why they were there. "So what is the nature of our powers?"

Igor nodded and willingly answered the girl. "Your powers are unique. It's like the number zero… It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You, my dear guests, are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp… But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly… Be sure to keep that in mind. My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then about my true role… the manner in which I can best assist you. Ah, but before I forget… Do you remember the other residents of this room…?" The two-golden eyed attendants stepped forth on either side of him. "Let's bring them out for a proper introduction."

The female attendant approached Minato and gave him a cute curtsy. "My name is Elizabeth. Please treat me and my younger brother well," she said with an unsettling giggle.

Her brother stepped forward towards Hamuko and lightly took her hand. "My name is Theodore, but please, feel free to call me Theo."

The two residents stepped back. "It's a pleasure to meet you," they simultaneously bowed to the twins.

Igor nodded as the two returned to his side. "My assistants will aid you as well. Until then… Farewell."

Minato and Hamuko felt a rush of energy swirl around them as they found themselves back at Tartarus. Minato looked around once more before turning towards his sister. She gave him a reassuring smile as beside her, Yukari called out to Minato.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Junpei noticed Hamuko was also in a slight daze. "Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie."

"Really?" Hamuko raised an eyebrow at him. "A zombie?"

"That's what you pick to dwell on!?" Junpei frowned before a smile returned to his face. "Ohh, I get it. You're trying to yank my chain here. Don't worry, though! I got you covered whenever you need it, man!"

"Yeah, yeah." Yukari rolled her eyes at the boy. "Whatever. C'mon, let's go." She noticed Minato was still staring into space. "Minato?"

"I opened this door, and…" Minato looked down at his closed hand as he held his MP3 player.

"Huh?" Yukari looked around but didn't see anything. "What door…?"

Junpei frowned at him. "Man, are you loco?"

 _So they really can't see it,_ Minato said, releasing his key and letting it hang from his neck. He returned to the rest of the group and tapped his sword against the soles of his shoes. _So whatever happens, it'll be all on Hamuko and me…_

"Have you been nodding off?" Yukari examined the boy carefully. "You seem kinda out of it."

"Dude," Junpei crossed his arms. "You're s'posed to be our leader. Get your head in the game!"

"Come on," Yukari pointed at the labyrinth's entrance. "Let's go."

They passed through the door and watched as the entrance disappeared behind them. There way out was now gone, leaving them stranded in the middle of a maze.

"So," Junpei began as he looked around them, "this is it, huh…?"

"I hope I don't get lost," Yukari mutteed.

Suddenly Mitsuru's voice echoed through the halls. _"Can you all hear me?"_

Junpei jumped. "Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?"

 _"I'll be providing audio backup from here on out."_

"Wait," Junpei looked around, wondering if there were cameras. "Ya mean, you can see inside here?"

 _"It's my Persona's ability. I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative."_

Yukari let out a sigh of relief. "Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better…"

 _"Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect."_

Junpei pulled on the bill of his cap. "Right!"

"Got it," Yukari nodded. They heard the feed cut before the girl frowned. "Why is she always like that?" she muttered to herself.

Hamuko gave her a reassuring smile. Minato noticed their exchange, but said nothing. He spun the sword in his hand a few times to loosen his wrist as he prepared himself for battle. He raised an eyebrow towards his sister to let her take point as he remained in the rear.

His sister nodded in understanding and pointed her naginata forward. "Everyone! Let's get started!"

* * *

Their first trip into Tartarus went very smoothly. Hamuko watched as Junpei and Yukari appeared from the warp point. Minato came out soon after and she gave him an all clear to let him know the other two were back safely.

Mitsuru applauded their efforts. "Welcome back. So, how was it?"

"No problem," Hamuko smirked.

The redhead smiled back at her junior. "I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved." She noticed Minato was leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "And you, Yuki?"

Minato felt a shiver run through him as her piercing gaze landed on him. "I'm exhausted," he managed to reply. Minato stood back up and approached Hamuko's side to make sure she wasn't bluffing about her condition.

Junpei smirked. "Wow… I never knew I had that kind of power! We kicked some ass! But damn, I'm beat…"

Yukari shook her head at him. "That's cuz you were bouncin' around like a little kid."

"You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan," Junpei noticed.

"I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually…"

"That's the effect of the Dark Hour," Mitsuru explained. "You'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry, though, you'll adapt. But, I'm surprised… You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko."

"Heh," Akihiko smirked. "We'll see about that."

The image of the Fool Card flashed through Minato's eyes and he nearly toppled over. Thankfully, Hamuko caught him before anyone noticed as they listened to the mysterious voice ringing in their head. _"Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana…"_

Hamuko smiled at her brother, happy that their first Social Link was going well. She bounded towards the rest of their comrades and joined in on their conversion, but Minato simply watched. The bright smile on his sister's face made something stir within him and he didn't like it at all. _Am I jealous that she can just go up to them and start laughing alongside them? Or is it more that I don't want to rely on anyone else but her?_ He absently lifted his Velvet Key and stared at it. _Is this really what a 'bond' is?_ He thought with a frown. _This is the source of our new strength?_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

After leaving Yukari and Hamuko behind at the station, Minato was the first back to the dorm. He went up to the fourth floor to check if anybody else had arrived yet, but noticed the command room was empty. He sat on one of the cushioned seats but he didn't have to wait long before he saw Mitsuru coming in.

"Ah, Yuki. Where are Takeba and Arisato?" Mitsuru frowned as she had thought the two girls had left the campus with him.

"They had some short business to attend to," Minato replied, not wanting to reveal too much.

"I see. No matter; I must wait for Akihiko."

The two waited in silence for the rest of their housemates to return. Minato fiddled with his headphones, but refrained from putting them on. It would just be rude to do so right now. He was fine with silence. He put up with it every night during the Dark Hour after all.

Mitsuru frowned as she became uncomfortable with the thought of being alone with the younger boy. She wasn't quite used to the enigmatic junior. Honestly, she found him quite the disturbing child. Aside from when he was eating and sleeping, all of his actions were precise, coordinated, like a machine. Yet he was silent and left no trace, much like a specter. He brilliantly shone yet at the same time, he was shrouded in complete darkness. Her mental image of the blue-haired boy was made worse given the things she had seen from him as she monitored him from the command room during the Dark Hour.

 _Speaking of which…_ Mitsuru turned to face the boy. "Yuki, may I ask you something?"

"Sure," Minato shrugged, confused as to what the older girl might need from him.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but the dorm has many surveillance cameras installed," Mitsuru searched for a believable excuse, "for safety reasons of course." The girl swore the boy's eyes lit up as he probably caught her rather obvious lie, but she continued anyways. "The Chairman periodically checks the recordings here," she pointed at the console in the room. "However he noticed that the camera in your room has malfunctioned. Do you know anything about this?"

 _Well, crap…_ Minato decided to just honestly answer the senior seeing as he technically did break the camera in his room. "I got curious about it since it seemed to be working during the Dark Hour," Minato shrugged as he nervously looked down at the floor. "I managed to piece it together, but given how advance the technology was, I guess it's still broken, huh?"

"Actually, I haven't checked after it went offline." Mitsuru activated the console and adjusted the monitor to display the feed for Minato's room. Her eyes widened when the camera was fully operational again. "You reverse-engineered it?" Mitsuru stared at him in disbelief. _Just who is this boy?_

Minato blinked at the screen. "Oh, wow. It works. And here I thought it wouldn't because I was stumped at how its power source worked." The boy frowned as he stared at the rest of the console. "Huh… This is a mess." He began fiddling with the console and fine-tuned the entire machine. "You need to keep something like this well-maintained."

The redhead crossed her arms as she watched him work. "Even the best scientists working for the Kirijo Group had trouble with this sort of technology. How are you…?"

"I don't actually know," Minato paused. _I'm not actually this skilled, but this thing is different. I can feel it. Whatever that blue crystal powering this is… It's like it's whispering to me… I just don't get it._ He stopped for a moment and stared at his hands. "Kirijo-senpai… Can I ask something? Is it okay if I dismantle the camera in my room again? I'd rather not have a security camera in my room, but I want to also be able to keep the parts and examine them some more."

"I suppose I can work something out," Mitsuru nodded. "Consider it thanks for adjusting the console."

"Cool," Minato returned to his work. "Huh? What's this for?" He absently pressed the curious button and a scene suddenly popped onto the screen. It appeared to be a past recording, but of where, Minato didn't quite recognize. _Tiled walls and steam?_ He watched for a moment before his blood ran cold. Of course he wouldn't recognize it… It was the girls' bathroom! To top it off, someone with long red hair was coming out of the shower. The boy quickly turned away, but the damage was done. Minato nervously started for the exit. "My apologies, Kirijo-senpai!" He tripped over himself and slowly turned to see a livid Mitsuru glaring at him.

Minato didn't really know what happened next. All he knew was that he had been kicked out of the command room, body frozen stiff figuratively and literally. Akihiko came up at that point and winced in understanding. "Looks like Mitsuru just gave you an execution," he sympathetically said. "Should I even ask?"

The blue-haired boy rapidly shook his head. "S-s-so cold…"

"I suggest a hot shower."

"No! No showers!" Minato didn't think his body could tense up any further, but it did. "I-I-I-I'll be r-right b-b-back…" He shuffled towards the stairs.

"Be sure to get something warm to drink!" Akihiko called out to him. The white-haired boy turned towards the command room door and nervously knocked. "Hey, Mitsuru? It's me!" He heard someone approaching the door and he steeled himself for the worst.

Thankfully, whatever happened between the two didn't involve him, so he was glad when Mitsuru nodded over to him as she returned to the console. "Welcome back, Akihiko."

"Checking on the cameras? Did you just talk to Minato about how he tore his apart?"

Mitsuru avoided eye contact with the white-haired boy. "Yes," she lied. "He overstepped his boundaries and I disciplined him for it."

"I think you went a bit overboard, Mitsuru," Akihiko shook his head. "I recommended a hot shower to him, but he flipped out." He saw Mitsuru flipping through all of the different feeds to make sure each camera was in proper condition. The boxer chuckled to himself as he tried to make a joke. "It's not like we'd be watching him as he bathed."

Downstairs, Minato was busy filling up a coffee pot at the sink. He heard a bloodcurdling scream from upstairs and shivered. "I guess two servings of coffee then," he muttered as he let the water boil.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** You know... My first thought on meeting Ikutsuki was that he wasn't trustworthy... I myself love puns, but he didn't quite look the part as one to tell good ones so it just raised my suspicions on him even more. Plus, if he stands next to Mitsuru, there is a clear distinction between who you know you should trust and who you shouldn't. Creepy man... So yeah... Hamuko takes point while Minato prefers the rear... That battle arrangement makes sense. Also, Mitsuru's Executions... Poor Akihiko must have gone through quite a few during their middle school days...


	7. Being Prepared Takes Effort

**Author's Notes:** And now the game properly begins. Sort of... I mean, you get full control over the team now at night, but the day is still... limited...

* * *

~21 APRIL 2009~

The next morning, Minato found himself heading to campus himself. He stepped off train and took a deep breath as he fixed his headphones. _"In the light men're crossing over lone shadows~ Wearing veiled slight hopes for intimacy~ Want to be close~"_ He hummed along as he tried hard to not think about the exchange he had with Hamuko as they returned to the dorm after their first venture into Tartarus. "To be close," Minato muttered under his breath when he realized the song he was listening to wasn't helping. He stopped walking and stepped to the side of the road as he took off his headphones. _No, I have to handle this myself. I can't rely on her for this._

Minato closed his eyes as he remembered the Hamuko's confused expression when he told her that she wouldn't have to wake him today since he'd be heading to school early. "But I've been waking you up to get to school for the past ten years! Nii-san, is there something wrong?"

"No," he had replied. "I just want to check something out at school before classes start."

"A club? Or maybe a friend?" She frowned at that. "No, you don't have many friends and none of the clubs are currently open."

Minato gave her a deadpanned frown. "Yes, I know. All the 'friends' I have are also yours." He shook his head. "I just want to check something out. _Alone_." He emphasized this so his sister wouldn't pester him too much about it.

Hamuko sadly watched as he began to retreat into his room. "You know I don't like it when you leave me alone…" she quietly whispered.

Minato stopped as he sensed the fear in her voice. His hand rested on the doorknob as he had been about to close his door. "I'm not leaving you," he said in a low voice. "I just have some things to work out on my own first."

"And just what are those things exactly?" Hamuko demanded to know. She never got a reply because in the next instant, the door had already shut her out from her brother.

Minato sighed to himself as he continued his journey towards Gekkoukan. _Maybe I was too short with her, but it's not like I can actually explain it to her. I barely understand all this myself. Between that laughing Reaper on Ikutsuki, the faint Reapers around all of SEES, the mini Reaper boy visiting me, and the Tartarus Reaper I have my hands full keeping track of what forms of Death are around me. It's like anyone can die at any moment and I don't need her to complicate things anymore than necessary. I don't need anyone else involved with this._

He didn't realize he was at the school gates, but when he finally noticed, another student called out to him. It was a boy in his class with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. He smiled at Minato as he approached the blue-haired boy. "Hey, you're Minato, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

He smiled as he matched his pace to Minato's. "Man, I knew it. I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-san. What's up with that? Well, I guess it doesn't matter." He shrugged. "I'm looking for someone with a little more experience anyway. By the way… I'm Kenji Tomochika. There's a morning assembly, so we better hurry."

Minato followed the brunet to the auditorium and noticed there were a lot of empty seats since they were the first ones there. They sat in the general area where their class was assigned and spent the rest of the morning just talking. Rather, it was Kenji talking while Minato was forced to put up with it.

* * *

Yukari was surprised when Hamuko came down the stairs alone. "Huh? Where's your brother?"

"He already left," Hamuko replied with a frown. "He's been so weird lately." _Maybe he just needs his space? But he normally doesn't push me away. He knows how much I hate being alone…_

Junpei looked up at her after he placed his bowl in the sink. "What? Is he upset you took charge last night instead of him?"

"I think that's just you, Junpei," Yukari shook her head.

Hamuko frowned. "No, it's not that. Whenever it comes to these sorts of situations, I always take point. Nii-san prefers being in the back. It makes it easier for him to do whatever he wants."

"Ah, so the lone wolf type, eh?" Junpei smirked.

"I guess you can say that," the red-eyed girl put on a small smile. _It's more that it makes it easier for him to watch out for everyone and jump in when necessary._ She mentally frowned at herself. _Which is why I need to make sure someone is keeping an eye on him when I can't…_

The three arrived at the campus and Yukari noticed all of the students heading towards the auditorium. "Oh! I almost forgot. There's an assembly today! Let's hurry up and find seats."

"Maybe Minato saved us some?" Junpei pointed out.

Hamuko laughed and shook her head. "Lone wolf, remember? We'll be fine. Let's just hurry!"

During the assembly, the principal shared a few words of encouragement and gave a speech on what it meant to be a youth. It was similar to his speech from the Welcoming Ceremony, but to no one's surprise, it was more redundant and fared worse than his first lecture. The entire school body groaned in relief as a student took the podium.

"That concludes the main portion of today's assembly. Next, we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new President, Mitsuru Kirijo from Class 3-D."

Mitsuru nodded as she took the stage. "Thank you."

Yukari frowned as she looked up towards the red-haired senior. "So, she did get elected. Well… I guess she IS the most popular girl in school."

Junpei nodded. "You can say that again! There's like some kinda aura around her… Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?"

"Pretty much," Hamuko nodded. She stared up at the stage for a while before sitting up in slight surprise. "Wait, when did we hold elections?"

The two looked at Hamuko in confusion before Yukari remembered something. "Oh, right. Elections for student council were held during that week you were in the hospital."

Junpei looked at Hamuko in surprise. "H-huh? The hospital?" He was about to question his upbeat classmate about it but the audience quickly became quiet in anticipation of Mitsuru's speech.

Mitsuru looked out over the crowd and took a deep breath before beginning to speak. "As I begin my term as Student Council President," she spoke with great confidence and determination, "I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment." Hamuko saw a familiar blue-haired boy a few rows in front of her straighten himself up in his seat as he listened. "That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions… To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future. For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasms are essential. Thank you." As Mitsuru climbed down from the stage, waves of murmurs swept through the audience.

Junpei stared at the empty podium with wide eyes. "Dang… That was freakin' amazing… Hey," he turned to Hamuko. "Did you understand what she was talking about?"

"Of course I did!" Hamuko replied, impressed by their senior's public speaking skills.

"Huh? Seriously!? Man, you're smart… Sure didn't sound like somethin' a high schooler would say… If it was anyone else, we'd be laughin' our asses off."

Hamuko smiled at that. _That's true_ , she thought to herself as she imagined her brother trying to pull that speech off. Speaking of which, she saw the blue-haired boy get up from his seat as he made his way to their classroom. Since the rest of the school was emptying the stadium, Hamuko quickly got up to go after him. "Minato!"

The boy stopped and turned to face her. He tilted his head to the side. "Hm?"

The red-eyed girl finally reached him. "What'd you think of Mitsuru-senpai's speech?"

The boy frowned as he looked away. "It was good."

"That's it?" Hamuko was disappointed in his answer, but did her best to contain it. Despite her best efforts, the older twin sensed her internal frown.

"No," he plainly replied. "It was actually brilliant. 'Change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment'," he quoted. He scoffed at himself. "I think I understand it a bit better now…"

"Understand what?" Hamuko was confused by her brother's strangely self-deprecating smile.

"It's nothing," Minato simply replied before turning his back on her. "Better get to class before we're late."

* * *

Minato exited the building alone and was just about to put on his headphones when some loud squealing made him flinch. _What's going on?_ He looked around and noticed a flock of girls surrounding Akihiko. _Oh… Okay… Poor Sanada-senpai…_

More girls came out of the building behind him and one eagerly pointed at the white-haired senior. "Look, it's Akihiko-senpai!"

Her friend looked around frantically. "Where!? Oh, there he is!" She spotted their idol and the two let out a scream.

Minato winced as he stepped away from the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Junpei and Hamuko coming out. They greeted him with a smile before the capped junior noticed the crowd around Akihiko.

"Have you noticed how popular Akihiko-san is with the ladies? Man, take a look at that… I hear they're always swarming Akihiko-senpai like that." His smile grew wider. "I didn't use to talk to him much, but now I've got a good excuse. I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but… Who woulda thought he'd be such a chick magnet!? I mean, come on! You don't even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they're going…"

"Does it really matter?" Minato asked as he glared at the loud mess. "All the noise they make is giving me a headache." He looked over to Hamuko and saw she was giggling as she watched Akihiko struggle through the swarm. "Is Akihiko really that 'hot'?"

Hamuko shook her head. "He's not 'hot' per se. He's good-looking for sure, but it's a type of good-looking between 'cute' and 'hot'." Hamuko nodded as she finally settled on the category she thought the senior belonged in. "Yeah. I'd say he's definitely the handsome-type."

Junpei looked at the twins in surprise. "Wait, is this some sort of 'girl talk'?" He turned towards Hamuko with a smile. "What type am I?"

"Goofy-type," Minato quickly replied.

"What!? That can't be it," Junpei frowned.

Hamuko giggled. "No, he's right. You've got a humor-based charm." She gave her brother a light-hearted glare. "But we're discussing types based on appearances so I'd say you belong in the 'laid-back' category."

"Then what about him?" Junpei pointed at the blue-haired boy.

Minato looked away nervously. "It's none of your business."

Sensing it must have been either embarrassing or unflattering, Junpei gave Hamuko his best puppy-dog pout. "Come on, tell me!"

The girl was about to answer but Akihiko finally got to them. "Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?"

Suddenly distracted, Junpei turned towards their senior. "Huh? Who, us!? I… guess so…" Eyeing the girls behind the white-haired boy, he suddenly pumped himself up. "I mean, hell yeah! Whatcha got in mind!?"

"I want the three of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I'll be at the police station. See ya there."

"Th-the police station? You mean, we're not hangin' out with your friends…?" Disappointment grew on the capped boy's face.

"Who, these girls?" Akihiko knit his eyebrows together. "I don't even know their names. They talk so much they give me a headache." Minato gave him a sympathetic grunt. "Anyway, I'm gonna head out. Don't keep me waiting."

As Akihiko passed the group of girls, the majority began to cry. "Aww… Why can't he be more friendly?" one sighed.

"But, that's what makes him so cool!" Another defended him.

Minato made a face. _I'll never understand generic-type girls. Mindless sheep…_

Junpei crossed his arms. "Man, how can he not know their names!? I mean, seriously! Just look at them!" He turned back to the twins. "Well, I guess we gotta go…" His shoulders sank a little. "Sheesh, talk about putting a damper on a guy's afternoon."

Hamuko pulled on his cap. "Aw, cheer up, Junpei. There's always next time. Let's hurry before Minato leaves us behind," she pointed at the blue-haired boy going on ahead of them.

Minato shook his head as the two caught up. He led the way to the mall and curiously looked at the bulletin board outside the station.

Junpei looked at him oddly. "Dude, let's hurry up and check this out."

"Mm," Minato responded.

"This had better be good," Junpei opened the door into the Police Station and saw Akihiko speaking with the officer.

"Thank you, Sir. Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier," Akihiko pointed to the three juniors. The officer stared the three of them down, but the twins were unfazed. Junpei seemed to be shaking in place though. "I was waiting for you guys. This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san…" Akihiko held up a bundle of cash.

"R-really!?" Junpei brightened at the sight of money. "Sweet!"

The three got 5,000 yen each and Minato blankly stared at it. _That's it? What's it even for?_

As if on cue, Akihiko answered the boy's unspoken question. "You can't fight something empty-handed, so find something you like. Officer Kurosawa has connections… But, these things still cost money."

Officer Kurosawa nodded. "Of course they do. Nothing in life is free."

"I realize that," Akihiko said as he passed the three juniors. "Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again."

The three looked back towards the police officer and he continued to stare them down. "I've been informed about you three. My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."

Hamuko nodded in understanding. "I see. So what do you have?"

The twins were shown an array of weapons but Junpei stared at the money he received. "Pshh, only 5,000 yen…" He gave the twins an apologetic smile as he pointed to the door. "I'm gonna take off, since I'm in a bad mood now… Later."

Minato studied the prices and lifted up a sword to test its weight. _For once, I agree with Junpei_. He handed his share of money to Hamuko. "I'll head out too. If you end up getting something, prioritize defense first. A good weapon means nothing if you can't use it."

"Got it," Hamuko nodded as she took her brother's advice and began examining the various pieces of armor.

Minato left the police station and finished reading the bulletin board. The news posted wasn't very interesting, but he did see that there were more and more notices about Apathy Syndrome and the Lost appearing here and there around the city. _I guess we'll figure out a way to fix those later,_ he said, walking towards the café. He was about to enter when he noticed Escapade was open. _Isn't it a bit early for a nightclub to be opening its doors?_

He remembered the fortune teller he met before and felt curious. Before he realized it, he was in the nightclub. A bouncer eyed him suspiciously. "Sorry, but you're a bit too young to be in here, son."

"Oh, I was told by a fortune teller to stop by anytime."

Minato watched as the man's eyes go wide. "Oh, Den Mother invited you? Well, don't make a scene."

"Sure thing," the boy said as he went down the stairs and entered the dark club. He spotted the familiar lady sitting at a table in a corner and as if she foresaw his arrival, she smiled and waved him over.

"So you've come."

"Yeah," Minato curtly replied.

"Do you remember what I told you before?" Minato nodded. "So you've taken my words to heart. Would you still like to know your fortune?"

"Yes, please." He focused his blue eyes on the crystal ball sitting on the table.

"Very well," the woman's smile slightly grew. She began her reading and Minato watched as smoke filled the crystal, taking the shape of his Evoker. "You have pulled fate's trigger… The bullet passes through many," half of the smoke continually shifted its shape to match multiple Shadows while the other half took the form of Orpheus before shifting into what Minato assumed were other Personas, "heading directly to its target… What target that may be, however, is unknown to me…" A large black figure with wings engulfed the ball as it smiled at Minato. "You must find that out for yourself…" Soon the orb cleared up and the fortune teller looked back towards her customer. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato nodded in thanks as he left the nightclub. He stared at his Velvet Key for a few seconds before smirking to himself. _So the key is in expanding on my Personas. Time to test Igor's claims for myself. Empty but full of infinite possibilities…_

* * *

Mitsuru looked up as Minato returned to the dorm. "Welcome back," she greeted him. "Perfect timing… I'd like to speak to you for a moment. Regarding our exploration of Tartarus… Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I'd like for you to lead the team."

Minato looked at her in surprise. "But wouldn't Hamuko do a better job? She led all of the battles yesterday, after all."

"I based my decision on my analysis of your battles last night. While I agree that Arisato was better at directing, you were the one who was able to calmly assess the situation and dictate the flow of the investigation." Mitsuru smirked at the younger boy. "No matter how well you try to hide it, your talents will eventually reveal themselves to others who are searching for it." Seeing as the boy was uncomfortable with such praise, Mitsuru stared at him with understanding. "I have already discussed this with your sister and she said it is ultimately your decision whether you wish to take the lead or not. However, we did come up with a compromise where, if it makes you more comfortable, we will assign Arisato as field leader and you as a co-leader of sorts, or vice versa."

"No, I'm fine with that arrangement," Minato thought it through. "I work best from behind-the-scenes anyways. This way, explorations will more or less be similar to the how we styled it yesterday."

"Very well," Mitsuru nodded.

"Is there anything else?" Minato asked.

The redhead thought about it. "You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other day. It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation. So, whenever you'd like to explore Tartarus, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone there. Also, since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to." Minato nodded in understanding. "Well, that's it. Keep up the good work."

"I will," the boy responded. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, is it possible for us to visit Tartarus tonight? There is something I want to test for myself."

Curious, Mitsuru nodded as she headed toward the reception office to notify the others to come down before the Dark Hour.

* * *

Hamuko was surprised when she received a text from Mitsuru saying they'd be going to Tartarus again. Even more surprising was the fact that Minato accepted to be her co-leader. The two stood side by side in the entrance of Tartarus, in front of Mitsuru's communications station, and listened as she briefed them on how exploration would work.

"As we explore Tartarus, this will be our temporary base of operations," she began. "I found out something about Tartarus. A few floors up, there's a barricade preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed amongst its floors. I know I told you that the layout changes each day, but these barriers seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade. I'm counting on you."

Minato sharply nodded as he rested his sword on his shoulder. "We'll get the job done." The confidence in his voice made Hamuko wonder what going on in his mind.

"Good, prepare your team and be careful."

Hamuko followed Minato towards the foot of the stairs where Yukari and Junpei were waiting for them before he stopped. "Hey, Hamuko. I'm going to head to the Velvet Room for a while. There's something I need to check on. Keep them busy, will you?"

"Sure thing," she replied as she continued ahead of him. She smiled at her friends. "Are you two ready?"

"Yeah!" Junpei said, pumping himself up. "We're the ultimate team here! An inspiring leader does wonders, you know?"

"I'll do my best," Hamuko chuckled, dubious of what he was implying. The younger twin might be the one actively leading the team, but it was Minato who was the de facto leader. Of course, only Mitsuru knew that though.

"Where's your brother anyways?" Yukari asked as she adjusted the tension on her bow.

Hamuko quickly came up with an excuse since the two couldn't see the Velvet Room. "He's a bit picky about his weapon. You might not think it by looking, but he's pretty amazing with just about anything you hand him. By the way, the rash guards I got from Officer Kurosawa aren't too flimsy, are they?"

Junpei readjusted his said piece of armor. "Nah, it should be fine. If Officer Kurosawa was selling it, it should be, right?"

"I hope so," Yukari frowned as she looked down at her rash guard. "Maybe it'd help if I wore a jacket over this."

"You have to keep in mind mobility," Minato plainly said as he came up to them.

Yukari let out a scream. "You surprised me!"

Minato ignored her accusation and pointed at her armor. "If you're not comfortable wearing just that, you can wear your jacket over it, but it might slow you down. Then again, you're using a bow so you'd probably be spending most of the time in the back line. And since you're also the only one with healing abilities, it would be in our favor to make sure you take the least amount of damage as possible."

Yukari blinked at him before realizing he was just considering what would work best for her during the exploration. She frowned as she looked back down. "No, you're right. I should put something on over this."

"That goes for the rest of us," Hamuko nodded as she put on her uniform jacket. "A good weapon means nothing if you can't use it, after all." She smirked at her brother as she quoted him.

Once they were ready, they entered the labyrinth. Just like the previous night, Hamuko led the way as Minato trailed behind them. The small group managed to get to the fifth floor without problems before Hamuko sensed something was different about this floor.

"Senpai?" she spoke into her headset. "This floor isn't like the others we've been going through."

 _"No, it isn't. Stay sharp everyone. Three large Shadows are blocking the way. It looks like there's no way around them. You'll have to fight."_

"Alright. Please scan it as soon as we engage it, Senpai," Hamuko responded. She turned to everyone. "Everyone, let's go!"

Minato nodded and remained in place as the other three charged forward. Once close enough, Yukari fired an arrow at one of the large birds. It fell to the ground immediately and he smirked at their luck for quickly identifying its weakness.

Hamuko noticed too and held up a hand to signal for Junpei to stop. "Yukari, try to get the others down, too!"

"Right!" Yukari managed to down another one, but the last one was too quick. She tried her best to aim, but the bird flew out of the way as she fired. As her arrow stuck itself into one a pillar, the bird dove straight for her. Yukari put up her arms in front of her but a flash of blue hair swept in front of her. "Minato!" The boy had already begun moving when he knew the girl couldn't get a steady aim.

Minato threw himself at the bird as it lunged towards them. The Venus Eagle dug its talons into the boy's arm and pulled. Hamuko's eyes went wide as she saw blood dripping down her older brother's arm. "Nii-san!" She called out to him as she started towards him, pulling out some medicine from her bag. "Get away from there!"

"Stay where you are!" _Perfect chance for me to try something,_ Minato thought as he pulled out his Evoker and pointed it to his head. "Persona!" Instead of Orpheus as Hamuko had expected, a new Persona erupted from the boy's mind.

A fairy fluttered in front of the boy and giggled. _"I am thou… Thou art I…"_ She circled the boy and a glowing light wrapped his injured arm. When the Persona disappeared, Hamuko noticed that the scratch was completely gone. All that remained was his tattered sleeve and some dried blood.

While the twins were preoccupied, Junpei slashed the Shadow that was still actively flying around. "Hey! Get your head back in the game!"

"R-right!" Hamuko nodded as she brought the blade of her weapon up from the floor.

The other two birds quickly got back up, but before they were given a chance to do anything, Yukari downed them once more. Minato worked to corral the troublesome Shadow into a good position for her and she gave him a signal to move aside. She finally downed the remaining Venus Eagle. Yukari gave Hamuko a smirk. "Now's our chance for an All-Out Attack!"

Hamuko got into a ready position. "Everyone, let's go!" she signaled them.

Yukari initiated the attack as she leapt into the air while firing a barrage of arrows. "Lemme at 'em!" The three others jostled the Shadows around and immediately retreated backwards to separate the distance between them and the Shadows. A Shadow weakly tried to grab at them, but Minato preempted it with a swift flick of his wrist.

 _"Good work weakening them,"_ Mitsuru's voice echoed through the halls. _"I finished my scan. Refrain from using any fire skills."_

"Got it," Junpei said when it was his turn to strike. He put his Evoker to his head and pulled the trigger. "Hermes! Cleave it in half!"

An armored man with metal wing-shaped fixtures attached to his arms emerged and cut through one of the eagles. The Shadow fell to the grown and quickly disappeared.

 _"Two more enemies!"_ Mitsuru notified the other three as they tried to fend off the remaining Shadows.

"Yukari! Down them!" Hamuko ordered.

Yukari managed to get one and the Shadow disintegrated in defeat. She tried to get the last one, but it was too fast. Her arrow missed and she turned towards Minato expectantly. "Minato!"

Minato already had his Evoker to his head as he focused on his target. "Forneus!"

This time a demonic stingray erupted from his mind. It let out a roar as it cast an ice spell on the last Venus Eagle. Frozen in place, Junpei and Hamuko took the chance to finish it off.

Hamuko high-fived Junpei as the battle ended. "Good work, everyone."

Minato spun his Evoker in his hand before putting it back into his holster. "Not bad," he said, satisfied with the results.

They continued through the floor before they came across a strange machine. Mitsuru sensed it too. _"Hold on. Can you check that out?"_

The four walked towards it and curious, Minato placed his hand on it. "What is this?" It lit up at his touch and before he realized it, he found himself back at the entrance.

Mitsuru saw him reappear and immediately spoke into her transceiver. "As I thought, it's a teleport device. Use it to return to the lobby. You've done well for the night."

Hamuko was the first to return and she hugged her brother as soon as she saw him. "Geez! Don't just up and disappear like that!"

Yukari and Junpei were right behind her. "Come on, you shouldn't worry your sister," Junpei frowned.

"Sorry," Minato shrugged. "I didn't expect that to happen."

"Still, you were amazing today." Yukari smiled at the blue-haired boy. "What was that you did in that last fight? Those weren't the same Persona as you were using last night."

"No, they weren't," Hamuko frowned. "You managed to use other Personas in that fight."

"Multiple Personas?" Mitsuru crossed her arms. "How interesting. Is it unique to Yuki or can anyone freely switch their Personas?"

Minato looked up at the senior. "No, Hamuko can do it too, but I don't think everyone else can. It's hard to explain, but I think it has to do with how we awakened to the Dark Hour."

"Yes, you two were very unique in that none of the normal side effects affected you. It is as if you two were naturally accustomed to it from the beginning."

 _That's one way to put it_ , Hamuko thought to herself as her brother was actually using the senior's initial assumption about them to mislead her. She wasn't about to correct her since she didn't quite understand it all herself.

"Well, I suppose we can call today's expedition a success. Let's return."

"Yeah, I'm beat," Yukari started for the exit but stopped to give Minato a grateful smile. "If it weren't for you defending me back there, I'd probably be in worse shape. So thanks."

Minato shook his head. "Whatever." He looked over to the Velvet Room and looked over to Mitsuru. "Hamuko and I will put everything away, so you should head back first."

Mitsuru nodded as she turned off her portable console. "Very well. I expect you to be back soon though."

Hamuko nodded. "We will."

Junpei handed Minato his sword. "Thanks, dude. I'll see ya back at the dorm."

When everyone was done, the two carried the equipment to the dedicated closet Mitsuru had reserved for SEES. Hamuko watched her brother curiously as they made sure to reorganize their inventory.

"So can you finally tell me what's been on your mind?" The girl asked as she carefully set Yukari's bow into its case. "You've been avoiding us for a while now, nii-san. I was beginning to think that you were trying to distance yourself from me."

"No, that's not it," Minato shook his head. "The Reapers I keep sensing around SEES, they come and go but they're persistently there. Even around you… I don't want to see that. I'm sorry if I've been ignoring you. You must have been lonely, huh?"

"Well, I had Junpei and Yukari to keep me company," Hamuko softly smiled at him. She was relieved when her brother was finally acting like his normal self.

"That's good," her older brother sighed in relief. "There were also things I needed to figure out. Decisions I had to make for myself. What I wanted to do… What I needed to do… Stuff like that…" The older boy let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

Hamuko quickly shook her head. "That's not true at all, nii-san!" She looked to the ground and frowned. "You're the best big brother in the world. And to be fair, I was putting a lot of pressure on you too. I'm sorry…"

Minato wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright, Hamuko. You don't have to feel bad. I told you… It's just a problem I had with myself. You know me better than anyone. I'm not good with the others, but when it comes down it, I'll definitely still be there. We're a team, after all."

The shorter girl lifted her arms and tightly gripped her brother's jacket. "Yeah," she whispered. "There was another thing too. I had a dream where I saw you speaking to a boy about 'the end of everything'. I got afraid that you'd end up leaving me alone."

"You know I'd never do that," Minato gently murmured. "Besides, we signed a contract. This is the path we chose and we promised that we'd do this together." The older twin slowly let go of his sister and smiled. "Speaking of which, there's something I want to show you in the Velvet Room. Igor and Elizabeth explained to me all sorts of stuff and I want to try something with the new Personas we found."

Curious, Hamuko followed her brother and took out her Velvet Key. She entered the Velvet Room and saw Minato approach Elizabeth to discuss something. The attendant slyly smirked at him as his hand wandered down to his Evoker. Wanting to know what they were discussing, the younger twin went towards them only to be called over by Igor.

"Ah, there you are. Welcome to the Velvet Room. Well… I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here." Igor pointed at the Evoker in Hamuko's holster. "It is my job to create new Personas. But in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together… In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona. Furthermore, if you've established a Social Link, you may be able to create an even stronger Persona. So, as you accumulate cards, please bring them to me."

Beside him, Theodore stepped forward and bowed. "How may I be of assistance, my dear guest?"

"I don't actually know," Hamuko honestly replied. "I guess I should fuse a new Persona, but I don't know how to go about that."

"It should be simple enough," Minato said as he took his place beside his sister. He pulled out his Evoker and a few cards materialized from the contraption. "I don't have that many Personas, but we can probably do something with them."

Hamuko took out her Evoker and her eyes widened at the few cards she had. "Huh… Orpheus, Apsaras, Angel, Alp, and Omoikane." She looked over at her brother's cards. Besides the three she had seen him use, it appears that he also had Nekomata and Ara Mitama. "So we just pick two cards and fuse them together?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Just hand over the cards you wish to fuse and we will handle the rest. Oh, I wonder what your first fusion will be. This will be interesting," the girl giggled as she gave the two an innocent smile. "Might I come up with a suggestion for an appropriate Persona?"

"Elizabeth, my dear sister, perhaps we should let them decide on their own," Theo nervously told her only to duck behind Igor when she cast her golden eyes on him. "Or continue with your advice. You have splendid words of wisdom after all."

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Theo," Elizabeth wagged a finger at him.

Igor ignored the siblings as he revealed a fusion chart for the twins. "These are the currently available fusions for your set of cards. As you can see, you are limited in your choices, but as you get stronger, the possibilities will expand."

Hamuko nodded in understanding as she saw many of the combinations available led to Personas they were already holding. "I see." She pointed at a new Persona. "How about that one, nii-san? Devil Arcana, Lilim."

"Then I'll go with the Hermit Arcana, Yomotsu Shikome," Minato decided. "It'll take Orpheus, but you'll still have your Orpheus. It would be best if we kept a wide variety of Persona."

"Yeah, it never hurts to be prepared for the future," Hamuko agreed.

The two watched as Igor set up the tarot spread for them. He accepted their cards and smiled as they fused together. Hamuko caught her new card as it gently drifted into her hand. Minato studied his as he nodded in thanks to the long-nosed man. Igor smiled and waved at them as they left the Velvet Room. "I await your next visit."

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Hey, Junpei," Hamuko smiled at the returning boy from the kitchen.

"Oh, hey." Junpei sat at the counter and watched her cook. Seeing her brother was nowhere to be found, he asked her a question. "Where's Minato?"

"He's still out," she shrugged.

"Perfect," the capped boy smiled. "So about what we were talking about before. The thing about dating types. What's your brother's?"

Hamuko giggled. "You're really curious, aren't you?"

"It's his fault for looking so suspicious, dude."

The red-eyed girl turned around to get something out of the pantry. "Okay, I'll tell you. He's a bishie-type."

Junpei burst out in laughter. "Oh man! That's rich! I can totally see it, too. Boy, that's embarrassing." He stood up as he started for his room. "That makes me feel a whole lot better. I'll see you later, 'kay?"

Hamuko waved back at him as she carefully diced some vegetables. _It doesn't help that nii-san has Mom's face. He looks like an older version of cute little Nao-chan._ She paused as she looked at the package the twins were planning to send to their Grandfather. It was decorated with all sorts of designs of flowers and butterflies. "He's so silly to design it that way when the two of them hate stuff like that," she shook her head.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Due to my bias for cool characters, that's the type I personally give Minato. He is a pretty boy though... There's no way around that... I'm going to be scaling levels based on a mix of Shadow levels and what block is currently accessible to the team. I'm not really going to be too focused on Tartarus, but because it's still the beginning, I might as well show our protagonists learn mechanics... More mechanics next chapter too... So look forward to that, I guess.


	8. Of Friends and Miracles

**Author's Notes:** And we finally get thrown into our first Social Link. I'm not really gonna focus on them, but I'll throw in updates from time to time on what everyone's doing. I really wish there was a tutorial on Social Links since the game doesn't really explain much. It just throws you into it, expecting friendship to suddenly happen. Granted that sometimes works in real life, but... I'm not one to actively reach out to strangers unless necessary... And given how antisocial Minato is... I don't think he'd do that either. Then again, Minato gets pulled along into weird things all the time since he's pretty passive in the game.

* * *

~22 APRIL 2009~

Minato arrived at the school gate, alone once again. The only difference today was that he was in a lot better mood than yesterday. With things falling into place within his mind, he was ready to face whatever challenges the year would bring. It also helped that he just sent a package to his grandfather to let the family know he and Hamuko were adjusting well to Iwatodai. It'll be a while before the twins get a response, but this was a start.

"What's up, Minato?" Kenji came up from behind him. "Huh…? You're all by yourself? Dude, I thought the rumor about you and Yukari-san was true…"

"It is what it is," Minato shrugged. _Are those rumors still circulating? That means the ones about Hamuko and I dating are still… Wow, people really have nothing to do with their lives._

Kenji gave Minato an impressed smile, happy that the boy wasn't fazed by the school's infamous rumor-mill. "Oh yeah? Well, it's not like I care of anything. But, you've sure had some bad luck since you transferred here. You know, dude, all the weird stuff that's been happening… How everyone's been saying they're hearing strange voices… Well, I guess since you're always listening to your headphones, you probably haven't heard anything."

"Well, yeah," Minato said. "I don't like noise."

The brunet laughed. "Yeah, you're pretty cool," he smirked at the blue-haired boy.

* * *

After class Hamuko came up to his desk and poked her brother's face. "Did you sleep well?"

"I'm surprised I can here," Minato said as he stretched his neck.

"Yukari and I are going to Paulownia Mall. Wanna come with?"

Minato was about to comply but Kenji came up to his desk. "Hey, man!" He eyed Hamuko and smirked at the blue-haired boy. "So if you're not dating Yukari-san, does that mean you're dating Hamuko-san?"

"No," the blue-eyed boy frowned. "That's just wrong."

Hamuko laughed. "That's an interesting thought, but sorry, Tomochika-kun. Minato isn't really my type."

"That's a shame," Kenji gave Minato a sympathetic smile. "Shot down like a plane."

The older twin gave the girl a stern glare. "Hey, don't give him any weird ideas. I have enough to deal with whenever Junpei's around."

The girl only stuck her tongue out. "Well, I guess I'll tell Yukari you're busy then," Hamuko said as he launched herself off his desk.

"W-wha? Hey, wait!" Minato cried out after her but his younger sister quickly disappeared from the classroom.

Kenji let out an impressed whistle. "I get it. You're dating them both! You've got some balls, man." He shook his head before remembering what he came up to the boy for. "Hey, man, I'm gonna get some ramen after school. You wanna come?"

"Why are you asking me?" Minato asked, considering he's seen Kenji spending time with Junpei and other more sociable guys in the class.

"No reason, really," he smirked back. "I just don't have anything to do later… and I thought we could finish our conversation from this morning. So whaddya say, man? Let's get some ramen and talk."

"Whatever," Minato replied as he picked up his bag. "Where are we going?"

Kenji ended up taking him to a restaurant near the Iwatodai station. Minato was dubious about the place first since there seemed to be a lot of sketchy figures around, particularly a tall man with a beanie and long coat sitting at the counter, but when he tried the ramen, he understood why all these ruffians would come here. The soup was extremely rich, but not completely saturated with oil and the noodles were the perfect consistency.

"Oh wow," Minato couldn't help but say before digging into his bowl.

Beside him, Kenji was loudly slurping his noodles and was nearly finished. The brunet lifted his bowl and made short work of the soup. "Whew! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Well, was I right, or was I right?" He winked at his friend. "This ramen tastes great, doesn't it? I bet they put a special ingredient in it—something no other ramen shop uses. It's probably some sort of secret spice…" Kenji suddenly became red. "Oh, sorry. My bad. I get all geeked up when I eat here."

"I agree with you," Minato said as he flagged a waitress to order another two bowls, one for here and another for takeout.

Kenji did the same thing and looked to the boy in surprise. "You do? Really? I mean, you can appreciate the subtle yet distinct flavor of the soup? Wow, you don't look like the type of guy I'd normally hang around with… But I guess looks aren't everything."

Their bowls were quickly served up and eager to continue, Minato picked up his chopsticks. "Just shut up and eat."

"Yeah, man, you're right," Kenji nodded. "If we talk too much, the noodles will get soggy. It's just that by the way you're savoring your soup, it seems like you really appreciate its flavor." The two sat in semi-silence as they quickly slurped their noodles. When he was half done, Kenji looked over to the blue-haired boy. "By the way, man, I hear you and Yukari are close. Damn, boy, you move fast! I mean, you just transferred here. I can't blame you, though. A man's gotta be aggressive nowadays. Hey, let's hang out after school again sometime. We'll get some food and I'll tell you about my secret plan…" The brunet shook in excitement. "Wait 'til you hear it, dude. You're gonna flip!"

Minato frowned as he didn't know whether to look forward to that or not, but he paused when a tarot card flashed before his eyes. And much like he experienced before with the Fool Arcana, a mysterious voice began to ring in his head. _"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana..."_

 _Huh… I guess this makes us friends then?_ Minato felt his Personas stir within him as if confirming that fact. He looked over towards Kenji who was still finishing up his meal. "I guess I don't mind doing this again," he shrugged. "This was actually pretty fun."

"Sweet," Kenji smiled. "I'll let you know whenever I'm free, yeah?" Minato nodded as the two paid for their meals. When they were ready to leave, Kenji looked up at the darkening sky. "What, it's already nighttime?" He frowned at himself. "Damn, I missed my favorite TV show! Man, you're one serious dude… Oh well, let's get going."

As Minato returned to the dorm, he saw Hamuko was staring at the fridge. "I got you dinner," he said, raising the bag he was carrying for her to see.

"Oh, thanks!" Hamuko gratefully took the ramen from him. "It smells great!"

Minato heard someone coming down the stairs and saw it was Mitsuru. He noticed it was a habit for her to be in the lounge reading during the evenings. "Kirijo-senpai," he greeted her with a nod.

"Welcome back." She looked at the twins before asking, "Yuki, Arisato, have you been monitoring your conditions? Exploring Tartarus can be exhausting, especially since you must do so late at night. You may find that you need a great deal of rest to recuperate. The other's conditions will vary as well, so make sure you take that into consideration before you begin exploring. If you want my evaluation of everyone's condition, don't hesitate to ask."

Minato looked towards his sister and noticed she seemed tired. He was too for that matter. "Understood," he replied to the senior. "I suppose I'll go to bed now. Good night."

Hamuko watched her older brother in surprise. _He's actually going to sleep? I guess Tartarus took a lot more out of him than I thought._

* * *

~23 APRIL 2009~

Hamuko smiled when she saw her brother waiting in the kitchen for her. "Morning, Minato!"

"I made breakfast," he said, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

She took a seat next to him and lifted up the bowl of rice. "Itadakimasu!" she gratefully rang out before lifting a small portion of natto up into her bowl.

Minato silently ate and as he finished he looked over to the younger girl. "So how was yesterday? Did you get anything at the mall?"

Hamuko nodded. "There was a sale at the CD store so I checked it out. I found a Lotus Juice album you didn't have and got it for you."

"Thanks," Minato nodded as he took the dishes to the sink.

"How about you? Did you have ramen with Tomochika-kun?"

"Yeah, Kenji took me to the ramen place in the strip mall." He set the wet dishes on the drying rack and looked over to his sister. "I made a Social Link with him. He's the Magician, like Junpei's Persona."

Hamuko's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't know there would be more."

Minato paused to think about it. "The Personas are based on tarot Arcanas and there's… twenty-one?"

His sister shook her head. "Twenty-two. You forgot to count the Fool." She smiled at her brother as she pointed to her hair clips. Minato stare at the XXII pattern she always wore them in. "The Fool can count as zero or twenty-two."

"I see," Minato nodded. "That makes twenty-two Social Links then and we've unlocked only two."

"Well, I guess these things take time," Hamuko shrugged. She looked at the time and quickly stood up. "Thanks for breakfast, but we'd better get going."

The pair finally reached campus and Minato overheard two students talking about Apathy Syndrome. He motioned to his sister and pointed at the two. "That sounds interesting."

"My neighbor has that… He grosses me out. Sometimes I think I might have it too, and it depresses me."

The other student frowned. "Maybe you just need some exercise. Hey, the male athletic teams are accepting new members. Maybe I should join!"

Minato stopped walking at that. "A sports team, huh?"

Hamuko looked over at him. "You should join one," she encouraged him. "It would probably help you improve your stamina."

"I suppose it doesn't hurt to check it out after school." He looked over to his sister and curiously tilted his head to the side. "What about you? Are you interested in joining a team?"

She shook her head. "Not today. Volleyball tryouts are tomorrow. I'll make sure dinner is ready for whenever you get back, okay?"

"Thanks," Minato smiled as they hurried to class.

* * *

"Good luck," Hamuko waved to her brother as he made his way to the gym. She looked down at her things and slowly packed them away. The red-eyed girl picked up her bag and smiled when she saw Junpei approach her. "Hey."

"Hey!" he smirked back. "You busy? Let's get something to eat."

"Let's go to Hagakure's," Hamuko suggested, wanting to see the restaurant for herself.

"Oh, wow," Junpei said wide-eyed. "I was gonna suggest the same thing. Well," he threw his bag over his shoulder. "Let's get going then!"

Hamuko knew it was going to be crowded but she didn't expect the place to be so packed. But given the quality of its food, she understood why so many people would visit. She and Junpei took a seat at a table and Junpei smiled up at the waiter in charge of their table. "Um… Alright! We'll have two specials!"

The waiter nodded as he went back to the kitchen. Hamuko looked at Junpei in confusion. "The special?"

Junpei eagerly nodded. "The normal meals are good, too, but the special…? Pure. Awesome."

Soon, the waiter returned and set the bowls of ramen before them. Hamuko noticed the smell of this bowl was different from the one Minato had brought back for her last night.

Junpei picked up his chopsticks and smiled at her reassuringly. "C'mon, try it."

Hamuko tried the soup before trying it with the noodles and was completely surprised. If she had thought the ramen last night was amazing, the one she was having today was completely outstanding. "This is delicious!" she exclaimed as she continued to eat.

Junpei laughed at her surprised response. "Good, right? Well then," he prepared his chopsticks. "I'm digging in too. Chow time!" He winced as the hot soup touched his tongue. "Ahh, hot hot hot… Man, this is great!"

Hamuko giggled. "Minato came here yesterday with Tomochika-kun and brought an order back, but it doesn't even compare to this."

"He didn't order the special?" The capped boy shook his head. "For shame…"

"It was his first time," the girl defended her brother. "I'll just order a special for takeout and quickly rectify his mistake."

"You guys really do look out for each other, huh?" Junpei said as he slowed down. He smiled before giving the girl a worried look. "Hey… Do you feel okay now? I heard that while you were out for a while, you were in the hospital. You seemed full of energy at school… but I was kind of worried."

Hamuko paused. "Thanks…"

"Huh?" The boy was slightly surprised. "Oh, um… No need to thank me… I had some problems myself when I transferred here, too, so I get why your brother acts like he does. In your cases, you've got all the fighting stuff on top of that… I was wondering if you weren't accustomed to school or whatever… Then again, I think you'll both do just fine." Junpei looked embarrassed but quickly laughed it off. "Still… Girls and guys livin' in the same dorm, huh? That can't be good."

Hamuko tried to frown at him the way she expected Yukari would if their friend was present. "Stop smirking like that."

"Aww… I can't help it." Junpei's smile didn't waver before he tried to be serious. "Oh, but I don't drag love into my work." He couldn't keep it together though so chuckled. "Then again, I can't guarantee that I won't fall for somebody," he laughed.

"We'll be fine, Junpei," Hamuko laughed alongside him. "I mean, we'd be really hopeless if Minato found someone before us." The two remained there for the rest of the afternoon before Hamuko asked the waiter to prepare a takeout for her when they finished. "Thanks for inviting me out, Junpei. It was pretty fun." A voice rang her head as she saw the Magician Arcana flash in her mind.

* * *

 _Chariot, huh?_ Minato thought as he gave the Team Manager his clothing size so she could order his track uniform. He waved goodbye to Kaz as he left. _This is a lot easier than I thought. As long as I take this slowly, I think I can make it to the end of the year._

He returned to the dorm and saw Junpei smirking at him. "S'up, dude?" The capped boy pointed to the bag of ramen he was keeping guard of. "Your sister got that for you."

"Thanks," he muttered as he noticed it was different from what he had yesterday. "Itadakimasu."

Done with his job, Junpei went over to the lounge and turned on the TV. "Hey, I hear you're friends with Kenji now… He said you're a pretty cool guy…"

"Of course," Minato lightly joked.

"Don't get too cocky, man… But yeah, I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

"Are you two friends too?" Minato curiously asked.

Junpei shrugged. "Well, sort of… I've known him for a long time, even though we don't usually hang out. He's a good guy… and, man, he has no fear when it comes to the ladies," he smirked. He sat up straight and seriously looked at Minato. "By the way, let's go to Tartarus tonight… I hear the Lost are increasing, so we better kick some Shadow ass. Your sister wanted to get your opinion once you got back, so if you're up for it, let's all go."

"Yeah, I'll tell her after I finish."

* * *

 _"I sense three Shadows guarding this floor,"_ Mitsuru notified them as they reached the tenth floor of the tower.

"Got it," Hamuko said as they scouted the area. She saw some hand Shadows waiting for them and signaled for Yukari to fire an arrow.

The junior pulled her bowstring back and released it, glad that her shot met its mark. The Shadows, alarmed to their presence, crawled towards them, but Minato and Junpei were ready. The two swung their swords in unison and managed to trip one over. The other two Dancing Hands fell over it and they turned into a total mess.

"Mitsuru-senpai, please scan the enemy!" Hamuko put her Evoker to her head and called for Orpheus. Flames erupted on the pile of Shadows, but the hands brushed it off as they got back up.

Yukari jumped back as one tried to attack and fired her own Evoker. "Io!" A gust of wind pushed the Dancing Hand back, but other than that, it didn't seem bothered by the spell at all. "Wind's not working either!"

"It doesn't look like spells affect them," Minato noted as Forneus tried to use an ice attack to no effect.

"Then we'll just bash 'em!" Junpei grunted as he summoned Hermes to use Cleave. Hamuko followed up by slicing it with her naginata but the Dancing Hand wasn't finished. Yukari fired at it with her bow before their leader could be harmed.

"Thanks for that!" Hamuko put a hand to her headset. "Senpai? Any luck?"

 _"Sorry, Arisato. These Guardian Shadows take much longer to scan. I've just finished. It's weak to Strike!"_

"In that case," Minato put his Evoker to his head. "Ara Mitama!" A floating red stone with an angry face charged towards the Shadow closest to him. "Again!" This time, Ara Mitama downed the Dancing Hand Junpei was fending off. Minato was about to fire again once more, but Hamuko called out to him.

"Leave the last one to me! Yukari cast Dia on him and whoever else needs it! Junpei, cover them!"

"Roger!" Yukari fired and quickly refreshed the blue-haired boy.

Hamuko took out her own Evoker. "Orpheus!" The orange-haired Orpheus removed the heart-shaped lyre from her back and slammed it down on the last Dancing Hand. "Let's wipe them all out!" Hamuko looked around to see the rest of her team ready to go for an All-Out Attack. "It's time for the Kiss of Death!" The four quickly barraged the downed Shadows relentlessly and when they jumped back, all three Dancing Hands were defeated. Hamuko straightened up and gave a thumb up to her team. "We did it!"

 _"Well done, all of you,"_ Mitsuru complimented. _"The next Guardian is four floors above you and beyond that is the barricade. We still have some time left, but will you be returning now?"_

Hamuko turned to the rest of the team. Besides a few scratches here and there, the juniors looked at each other before shaking their heads. Hamuko returned her attention to her headset. "We'll continue, Senpai. If anything goes wrong, we'll return immediately."

 _"Okay, but don't push yourselves too hard."_

"Let's go then," Minato said as he pulled out a couple of Chewing Souls from a chest.

They quickly made their way up and avoided fighting wherever they could. It was best if they could preserve whatever stamina they had left for whatever was awaiting them, after all.

Minato frowned as he ducked behind a pillar as the Guardian Shadow of the fourteenth floor patrolled past them. He glanced over at Hamuko who was quickly trying to rework their previous plan of surrounded the enemy and ambushing it.

"Senpai," he muttered into his comm. "Can you start scanning the Shadow? We're still coming up with a plan of attack, but it'd help if you could tell us what its weaknesses were."

 _"Understood. Don't act too quickly but if you do decide to engage it, try to hang on for as long as you can,"_ the older girl instructed him.

"Got it." The boy signaled to his sister that he already notified Mitsuru.

Hamuko nodded and turned towards Yukari and Junpei. "Mitsuru-senpai is working on her scan, but that still leaves us with figuring out how to approach that thing. It looks pretty sturdy."

"The sooner we attack it, the sooner it goes down. I say we go for it," Junpei said, standing up.

Yukari pulled him down. "Stupei!" she hissed. "Don't get us killed! We still don't know what's most effective against it. Something tells me this one isn't like the others."

"Yeah," Minato stealthily rolled to where they were gathered. "Yukari's right about that. The other floors had three Shadows while there's only one here."

"What do you think, nii-san?"

"We still have the element of surprise. Instead of surrounding it, we could wait for it to turn its back on us and jump it then." Minato carefully maneuvered around the pillar and examined the area they were in. "These pillars can give us cover for guerilla tactics. Junpei, you and I will lure it out here with our Personas. Don't do anything too crazy. Kirijo wants us to hold out for as long as we can until she gets a good reading."

Hamuko nodded. "That's a good plan, but Yukari should go with you. You'll need healing support if that thing charges you. I'll support Junpei with Alp."

"I'll be fine. I still have Pixie with me, remember?"

"But you won't be able to use her while you're moving about and attacking," Hamuko pointed out.

Minato looked over towards Yukari and she only nodded. "Fine," the boy said. "Keep your distance though." Checking to make sure the Shadow wasn't around, he rolled back to where he was initially.

Yukari stealthily chased after him, keeping her footsteps light. Junpei peered out from behind the pillar and nodded to Minato. The two boys made their way towards the unaware Shadow. Junpei tugged his cap down to signal to the blue-haired boy that he was in position. Minato nodded and pulled out his Evoker. The two suddenly sprang out from the columns and simultaneously yelled. "Persona!"

Hermes and Ara Mitama appeared and charged towards the Rampage Drive. Junpei's Persona didn't even make a scratch on the Shadow while Minato watched with wide eyes as Ara Mitama's attack returned back to him. The blue-haired boy flew backwards from the impact and slammed into the pillar a meter behind him. "Oof!" The air was knocked out of his lungs as he collapsed to the floor.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko shakily took out her Evoker as she called for Orpheus. "A-Agi!"

A weak fire tried to engulf the Shadow, but the Rampage Drive ignored it as it went after Junpei. The capped boy dodged out of the way and swung his sword, only to have it do nothing to the enemy. "Oh, come on!" He slipped behind a pillar and tried to use Hermes again, to no avail.

"Io!" Yukari cast Dia on Minato as the boy struggled to get up. Giving up on chasing Junpei, the Rampage Drive sparked with electricity and dropped a bolt of lightning on their healer. "Agh!"

 _"What's going on!? Arisato, status report!"_

"We tried to catch the Shadow while it was off guard, but Minato was suddenly thrown back by his own attack!" Hamuko watched as Minato knocked Yukari out of the way of an attack and took the brunt of it himself. When Yukari could move again, she quickly fired her bow but the Shadow ignored the arrow that dully bounced off it. She and Junpei tried to attack the Shadow at once, but it violently spun in a circle, knocking them both away.

 _"This isn't good. Everyone, it has no weaknesses! Physical attacks are useless!"_

"Shit… How are we supposed to beat it then!?" Junpei called out as he gave up on his sword. "I can't even hurt it!"

Minato was still catching his breath as he stood back up. He quickly reached into his pocket for some medicine and chugged it down before throwing his sword aside and grabbing his Evoker. "Persona!" He let out a roar as Apsaras emerged and struck the Shadow with ice. The Rampage Drive turned to face the blue-haired boy and prepared its Assault Dive attack. "Come and get it!" the boy challenged it as he fired his Evoker again. "Bufu!"

Seeing that Minato was using himself as bait, Yukari quickly ran to where Junpei and Hamuko were. "Let's go, Io!"

Hamuko was the first up and she pulled Junpei to his feet. "New plan," she began. "Junpei, you'll have to support us from the back. If someone gets knocked down, make sure Hermes gets them up again. Yukari, try to attack as often with Io as you can. If you need to cast Dia, make sure you're not anywhere near that thing!" She turned back towards the Shadow and pointed her Evoker to her head. "Nii-san, hang in there!" Lilim quickly charged up an electricity spell.

Yukari cast Garu and the Rampage Drive turned towards her before releasing another Mazio in her direction. The girl fell down and Junpei immediately did as he was told and cast Re Patra. Hamuko continued forward and barraged the Shadow with Lilim's attack.

Minato noticed the Shadow was preparing another Assault Dive and his eyes widened as his sister was too focused on attacking. "You idiot! Stop attacking and get out of the way! What do you think you're doing!?" He willed his battered body to move and tackled the Shadow with his own body. Surprised by the boy's outlandish attack, it spun around to throw him off before ramming into the persistent human. "Kkgh!" Minato slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground. Seeing as the boy was close to being finished off, the Rampage Drive approached him. There was no time for Minato to swap Personas, so he lifted his Evoker once more and prayed Apsaras would be able to freeze it long enough for him to get away.

Hamuko panicked and switched her Persona to one that knew Dia. The cards flashed through her eyes and she mentally reached out for another female Persona. Both twins fired at once and Hamuko stared in disbelief as she had mistaken Orpheus for Alp. Looking over at her brother, she saw Minato had summoned Apsaras and the two Personas seemed to resonate with each other. Orpheus quickly took out her lyre and played a song as Apsaras danced to it. The blue nymph gestured to her summoner to rise and Minato did. Minato felt his body regain its strength as the broken bones he knew he had suddenly repaired themselves. He also noticed an extra spring in his step but he didn't question it. Instead, he flipped to the side as the large Shadow rammed into the wall.

Junpei and Yukari felt their injuries heal and looked to their leader in confusion. Even Mitsuru seemed surprised by the sudden turn in battle. _"Arisato! Are you all okay? What happened?"_

"We're fine, but I don't know how! Minato and I just summoned our Personas at the same time," Hamuko replied as she looked back to her brother.

Minato leaped backwards as bolts of lightning tried to catch him. He put his gun to his head and looked over to Hamuko. The girl nodded and did the same thing before the two simultaneously pulled their triggers. "Persona!"

Again, both Personas interacted with each other and the entire team was now fully recovered. Minato returned to his sister's side and caught his breath. "It looks like that spell also raises our evasion and speed. Let's hurry up and take care of the Shadow before it wears off."

Hamuko nodded as she returned to using Lilim. "Junpei, cover us."

"You got it."

The four charged forward towards the Shadow. They managed to surround it and before the Shadow realized it, it was being barraged by all sides by ice, wind, and electricity spells. Confused, it didn't know who to target first so tried to go for Junpei. Junpei laughed as he dodged with ease. He distracted it long enough for the other three to continue their onslaught of attacks.

As Mitsuru watched the battle she smiled proudly to herself. _They've gotten much stronger_ , she thought as the Rampage Drive finally fell. _"Well done, everyone. I was beginning to worry that I'd have to order a retreat, but you all managed to take down such a strong Shadow. There are only two more floors left until the barricade, but given how exhausting that fight must have been, I understand if you wish to return."_

"No, we can keep going, Senpai," Minato answered.

"No, I think you should head back, nii-san." Hamuko sternly looked at him. "That Shadow would've killed you if we didn't pull off that miracle."

"She's right, you know." Yukari was still catching her breath. "Come on, I'll head back with you. Lightning spells aren't really my strong suit so I think I've had enough for tonight."

"Yeah, no worries, dude." Junpei gave the boy a reassuring smirk. "I'll make sure Hamuko comes back safe."

"You'd better, Junpei. Although… I think it might be the other way around, right, Minato?"

"What!? Come on, Yuka-tan. I can be responsible!"

 _"Alright,"_ Mitsuru said, breaking it up. _"Yuki, Takeba, I expect you two back down. Arisato, Iori, finish up the remaining two floors and return."_

"Understood," Minato sighed in defeat as he couldn't argue against the red-haired navigator's orders.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"What's with the rumors at this school?" Minato asked as he noticed some girls pointing at him on as he walked to school.

Yukari sighed. "You learn to ignore them."

"Well, yeah, but I never remembered any school Hamuko and I went to before being this bad. Well, maybe there was the school we went to last year, but there was something wrong with the city. The students here just talk nonstop. Don't these people have anything better to do with their lives?"

"People love to talk," Hamuko shrugged. "They can't help it. At least it's not as bad as Sumaru City." She turned to Yukari and explained. "There was a myth about the last place we lived at. They say that any rumor that spreads instantly comes true there. A lot of weird things happen there because of it. The relative in charge of taking care us was a detective working at an agency there and had to deal with strange cases dealing with them."

"Isn't that all urban legend stuff?" Yukari asked.

"A part of the deal living there was that I had to help with cases," Minato grumbled. "One case required me to look into my own medical records because a rumor was being spread that I was the love child between a police officer-in-training and a student teacher we had, both of whom were male by the way."

"What?" Yukari's face went red at the implications of that rumor. "But that's impossible."

"Like Hamuko said, Sumaru City had a lot of weird things happen there," Minato shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if it did come true considering all the weirdos who live there. It didn't help that my therapist knew a lot of interesting people…"

"Hey, the only reason that rumor spread is because you resembled Mr. Kashihara and reminded a lot of the locals of Mr. Suou when he was younger. Even Ms. Amano and Mrs. Saeko thought so! Given that you and Mr. Kashihara are bishie—"

"That's enough out of you," Minato cut her off as his face became red. "Cut it out before another rumor starts."

They finally reached their classroom, but as soon as they arrived, Junpei and Kenji smirked at Minato. "Hey, dude, did you hear the news?"

"What now?" Minato groaned.

Kenji winked at him. "Everyone's stopped saying that you're dating Hamuko and Yukari."

"Well, that's good," Hamuko noted.

"There's more." Junpei hid his smirk behind a textbook. "They say it's because Minato is actually a _Minako_." The capped boy burst out into laughter but stopped when Minato reached for his neck, only to be restrained by the two girls.

Minato's eyes glowed with bloodlust as he struggled against Hamuko's grip. "When I find whoever comes up with these rumors, I'm going to take my sword and shove it so far up their—" he stopped when he noticed Toriumi enter.

The teacher shot him a dirty look before turning to the rest of the class. "Everyone, take your seats. Class is about to begin. Those who don't in the next minute will be spending time after school cleaning the classroom with Minako—I mean, Minato."

Minato groaned as he sat in his desk and slammed his face into it as hard as he could. _Just kill me now…_

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So that's going to be the last of the Tartarus explorations since Tartarus doesn't really offer much to me story-wise. I will include some Tartarus exploration in some bonus scenes, but those are more for humor and how I imagine the mess that is SEES would act on their nightly excursions. Fusion Spells are so cool... I never used them much in Portable because they're items, but in FES, they're lifesavers. Especially Cadenza... Don't know how I feel about the offensive ones. They're expensive to cast and I'd rather save SP... Healing is a different story... Health is important... I'll blow all my SP if it means not getting a game over... Hrm... In FES, I imagine Minato gets his ability to use Fusion Spells because he's relying on Hamuko's spirit... Of course, in that world, Hamuko died ten years ago... In Portable, I can see Hamuko relying on Minato in the same way, but she's not as close to Death as Minato is so relies on items to channel her brother.


	9. May(Be Love at First Sight)

**Author's Notes:** And I think now things officially start? I don't know. I've kinda lost track because the beginning was so slow. No matter. The game picks up after the first month anyways.

* * *

~30 ARPIL 2009~

The rest of the month passed without any problems. Minato was actually surprised to see the end of the month arrive. _Was time really moving this quickly?_ He recalled the events of the past few weeks and noticed the steady amount of friends he had made. _I didn't even notice… So this is what it's like to 'live', huh?_

Since the team's last visit to Tartarus, Minato and Hamuko had befriended an old couple running a used bookstore at the strip mall. Mitsuru had also asked the twins to help her with Student Council, where they caught the notice of the head of the Disciplinary Committee Hidetoshi Odagiri. Minato was even able to get close to Chihiro Fushimi, the Treasurer who happened to be a year under them. The blue-haired boy worked hard to juggle Student Council with the Track Team, and yet he somehow managed to also get to know the Team Manager, Yuko Nishiwaki. And on the weekends, Minato often locked himself up in his room to speak with a friend he found online who went by the name Maya as he went by the name Tatsuya. Between all of these people, Minato was surprised he was able to make time for himself.

Hamuko, on the other hand, had no trouble with her schedule. She joined the Volleyball Team with ease and quickly bonded with Rio Iwasaki, apparently a childhood friend of Kenji's. Hamuko and Minato often hung out with the two after school when they could and the blue-haired twin finally cleared up to the Magician that it wasn't a double-date and that Hamuko was actually his sister. The red-eyed girl smirked at the memory and as she told Yukari about her brother's odd ability of attracting misunderstandings but never clearing them up, Hamuko realized she and Yukari were also getting closer too, establishing herself the Lovers Arcana.

Tired from the day's activities, the twins met up for dinner and were now returning to the dorm. Minato sighed as he shook his head. "I know I already have a lot on my plate, but it's too bad the Photography Club isn't open. I've been itching to finally get access to a proper darkroom, but I guess I'll have to keep using my room during the Dark Hour to develop photos."

"How'd you get your stuff to work during the Dark Hour?" Hamuko asked as she matched her steps with his.

"I asked Kirijo-senpai for some parts. We have a deal that as long as I agree to be the dorm's handyman I can get more parts to work with."

"That's an interesting deal," Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "I understand why she doesn't ask Junpei, but how about Akihiko-senpai? He looks like he'd know his way with a wrench."

"I asked her that too, but apparently, there was an incident about some protein powder getting into the TV?" Minato shrugged as the redhead didn't really explain it to him. "I don't know the details of what actually happened, but Sanada-senpai is banned from touching the tools."

Hamuko laughed. "That sounds like something."

"No kidding," Minato laughed. The girl paused and studied her older brother. The blue-haired boy suddenly felt self-conscious. "What's the matter? Do I have something on my face?"

The younger twin shook her head. "You seem a lot happier."

"Do I?" Minato paused to think about it. "I feel happier. I don't know. Maybe it's because I actually have something to look forward to each morning. Each day is different. One day I could be running in Track with Kaz, or maybe I'd help Hidetoshi with a disciplinary issue. It's a lot more fun than me last year holing myself up in my room, having you force me out to go to school and therapy each day. There's so much for me to do that I can't waste time thinking about Reapers."

"I'm glad," Hamuko said as she continued walking.

"How about you? No ghosts?"

Hamuko shook her head. "Lately it's been different. I hear _thoughts_ , instead."

"Like mind-reading?"

"Not really," the girl frowned. "Whenever I pass by someone who's Lost, I can sort of hear their voices."

"Hamuko," Minato looked at his sister with concern. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I can ignore them pretty easily," the girl said. She looked around and saw a Lost girl standing outside their dorm. "But, I guess with so many Lost appearing, it tends to get noisy. It gets especially worse during the Dark Hour."

"Here," Minato removed his Velvet Key from his lanyard and placed his headphones on his younger sister. "You can take my music player. If the noise gets too unbearable, just put that on. I put in some of your new songs, but if you want, I don't mind if you reorganize my playlists."

"Thanks, nii-san," Hamuko smiled as she accepted his most prized possession.

"No problem. I'm your older brother after all. It's my job to take care of you." He smiled back at her as he unlocked the front door. As they entered, his phone began to ring and oddly enough, so did Hamuko's. Raising an eyebrow, he answered cautiously. "This is Minato Yuki. Hello?"

"Hello? This is Elizabeth." Minato's eyes widened in surprise. "Please come to the Velvet Room. There is a matter we need to discuss. You may use the alternate entrance located in Paulownia Mall. All you must do is find the door. I'll see you soon." The girl giggled before hanging up and Minato frowned to his sister.

"That was Elizabeth."

Hamuko nodded her head as she also put her phone away. "Yeah, Theo called too saying something about his sister forcing him to call me to tell you to go over. Should we go now?"

Minato thought about it before shaking his head. "We just got back and you're tired. I'll head over to Paulownia Mall myself. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. We'll probably be visiting Tartarus tonight, but I can't say for sure."

"Alright, I'll let Mitsuru-senpai know," Hamuko nodded as she went upstairs. "Take care of yourself."

* * *

Minato looked around as he entered the Velvet Room. He waved to Theo before walking towards Elizabeth. "You asked for me?"

Elizabeth bowed and gave him a small smile. "I am truly sorry to bother you, but… I have a big favor to ask. I have been looking for someone with exceptional strength. It's been quite some time since we've had a visitor worthy of our attention. If you don't mind, will you accept my requests? Of course, once each request is completed, I will have a reward for you. I anxiously await your cooperation."

"That seems doable," Minato nodded. "What do you need done?"

Elizabeth nodded to her brother and the golden-eyed boy jumped. He handed the boy a small list of tasks. "I am so very relieved you accepted, Master Minato," Theo sighed. "The horrors I would have had to endure if you would have refused," the younger brother trembled. "No need to worry though, the requests will remain within the limits of your skill."

Minato tucked the list away in his pocket. "We'll get it done. No problem."

"Yes, I'm certain you will," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Good luck," Theo slightly bowed. "Please tell your sister that we await her next visit."

The blue-eyed boy curtly nodded before exiting. As he came out of the alleyway, Minato noticed the door to Club Escapade. He invited himself in, curious to see if his fortune had changed.

"You're back," Den Mother smiled at him. "Would you like to know your fortune?"

"Yes, please," Minato nodded as he took a seat across from her.

"Very well…" The crystal orb turned pitch black as a silver line bisected the darkness. "A long rail under the empty sky…" Minato swore he saw the image of the monorail. "On it stands youth in disarray… You seem to live a tumultuous life… What do you see at the end of the rail?" The train ran its course before coming to a stop and shifting into a Shadow and then Reaper. The images soon disappeared and Minato could only continue to stare as he felt fear begin to well up inside him. "Farewell, then... May your future be bright…"

"Thank you," Minato said as he rose from his seat. He carefully made his way out of Club Escapade, being sure not to stumble over his uneasiness. He took out his phone and quickly texted his sister. _"Tartarus, tonight. -M"_

 _"OK. Just told Senpai. -H"_

Minato contemplated whether to share what he just found out with his sister but soon slipped his phone back into his pocket. She wasn't very big with fortune telling as he was and she'd only say he was worrying over nothing. The boy kept the woman's reading in mind though as he returned to the dorm to prepare for a long training session within Tartarus.

* * *

~1 MAY 2009~

Minato waved as Yukari smiled at him from the gate. Beside him, Hamuko cheerfully jumped up. "Morning, Yukari!"

"Mornin'. It's getting warmer, huh?" Yukari looked down at their winter uniform and Minato tugged on his collar in discomfort. "Well, it IS May already… It's amazing how time flies…"

"True," Minato shrugged as the three started towards the main building.

"So much has been happening… Ya know, it doesn't seem like the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been decreasing lately… We're the only ones who can fight the Shadows, so… I guess we should train more, so that we're ready if anything like THAT comes up again. Me especially. I don't wanna be a burden on everyone else."

"You don't have to really worry about that," Hamuko shook her head. "We're all in this together and if anything, all responsibility falls on the leader." The girl slightly turned to look at her brother.

"Oh! No, you shouldn't have to take it all on yourself," Yukari said to the girl.

"But it's true," Minato shrugged. "Whatever happens, it's the leader who bears the burden of responsibility. All those following the leader are only accountable for themselves, but a good leader is one who can properly bring the team together collectively as a whole. Hamuko understands that, so don't worry about it."

"You sound a bit like Mitsuru-senpai," Yukari said with a frown.

"Well, she is the official leader of SEES," the boy pointed out. "Whether or not she leads the charge on the field is a different matter altogether. After all, that goes under my—er, Hamuko's," he quickly corrected himself, "jurisdiction."

"But you're also co-leader," Hamuko reminded him.

"Meaning I am your first means of support for when things go downhill." He paused when he saw Hidetoshi arguing with a student. "Speaking of which, I've got to check something out. I'll see you in class."

The two girls watched as he headed towards the Disciplinary Committee officer. Yukari shook her head. "I don't know whether to be impressed or worried about your brother."

"I wouldn't worry about him," Hamuko reassured her. "He's just over thinking things as usual." _I hope..._

* * *

Classes didn't even end yet, and already Minato had to put up with the nonsense of extra-curricular activities. Minato quickly got up from his seat to deal with important Student Council matters regarding their class. Hamuko, being Toriumi's favorite of the two, remained in class as he was specifically sent to take care of the paperwork regarding Class 2-F. Being a Friday, Mitsuru and the other officers came in early. The Student Council President seemed confused as to why the proper papers she needed to look at for the day were never given to her and was now snapping orders at everyone to search for them. As it turns out, someone had misplaced an entire crate of files that Mitsuru was to go over to prepare for the year's school festival. The festival may have been months away, but proper planning would help ensure that nothing went awry. That and the Student Council President had to approve all of the events every club and class wanted to hold and it would take a while before Mitsuru could properly evaluate whether something like a beauty pageant was a good idea for the school to hold.

"Odagiri, I want you to speak with Ekoda for permission to search the teachers' lounge. Fushimi, go to the Faculty Office and search there. Yuki, any other suggestions?"

The blue-eyed boy crossed his arms as he tried to deduce where the files were. "Senpai, didn't you hand them over to the Vice President during the last meeting?"

"Of course," Mitsuru nodded to him. She looked around the meeting room but couldn't find her second-in-command. "It looks like he's not here today. Fushimi, while you're in the Faculty Office, try to get his contact information. I'll give him a call myself to ask for the location of those files."

As the rest of the Council dispersed, Minato let out a disgruntled sigh. "Such a mess could have been prevented if the Vice President was more capable," he muttered to himself.

"While I completely agree, what's done is done," Mitsuru said, making the boy jump up in surprise.

"Senpai!" He cleared his throat as he recollected himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to speak badly of the Vice President."

"No, I understand your concerns. You weren't just referring to the Student Council." Mitsuru watched as the boy solemnly nodded. "I'll let it pass for today. Seeing as how you seem to have your hands full, you may leave. But just so you know, I think you're doing an excellent job in your position for SEES so there is no reason for you to be so hard on yourself. Good work as usual today." Mitsuru pulled out some other paperwork and took a seat as she began to fill them out.

The boy smiled at her praise. "I appreciate—"

Minato was interrupted when someone suddenly slid the door open. "Senpai, we have some trouble near the laboratories on the first floor. Is Hidetoshi-kun available?"

"I'll take care of it," Minato said, standing up.

"Ah, Yuki-kun. You'll do! It seems some girls are causing trouble for the clubs. The teachers—or rather Mr. Edogawa and Ms. Toriumi—are having a difficult time defusing the situation."

"I see," the boy grabbed a yellow armband and tied it around his arm. He would need it if he were to establish himself as a part of the Disciplinary Committee. He looked towards Mitsuru with a curt nod. "I'll get this done and then leave for the day."

"I'll leave it to you, Yuki," the redhead nodded as the blue-haired boy followed the student downstairs. She smirked to herself as she began going over the school's paperwork. _He's become quite dependable. I wonder if he isn't overexerting himself though._

Minato managed to get things sorted out quickly enough. The girls who had been causing trouble were apparently from Ekoda's class, but what exactly the problem was the teenager didn't know. Perhaps it was that they were disrupting club activities or they were harassing another student, but apparently Edogawa tried to step in only to drag Toriumi into the mess. In the end, Minato didn't really care with how it started. It all resulted in another headache for him as he reported to Hidetoshi. When his friend left to file the incident formally in the Council Room, Minato finally let out a sigh of relief that it was all over.

He turned to leave but failed to see the girl coming out of the science lab. "Oof!" Minato bounced backwards a little as the girl toppled to the ground, spilling papers out from her folder. The blue-haired boy's eyes grew wide as he quickly bent down and picked them up. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." He studied the beautiful photos before looking up to the girl. "These shots are—" He paused as he recognized who he was talking to. "Oh, it's you!" The surprise in his voice caused the girl jerk her head up at him, short teal-green hair bouncing a little before it settled around her face.

The girl stared at him with brown eyes before relaxing. "You're… Yuki-san." She saw the yellow band tied around his arm. "Oh! Are you here for Student Council?"

"Yeah," he nodded as he offered a hand to the girl. She took it and he carefully pulled her up. "There was some trouble earlier so I came down to check it out. I don't actually know the specifics, but some girls were causing problems for the teachers."

She carefully looked around, as if she were making sure she wasn't caught by someone she recognized. She turned back to the boy sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I must be keeping you from the Student Council."

"Oh, not at all. I was just about done for the day," Minato explained nervously. He stared at the pictures still in his hand. "These are very good shots, by the way." After straightening them out, he handed them back to her and noticed the camera she carried. "Wait, you took these with _that_ camera? I didn't expect the Nikon F6 to be this amazing! I use the F5 myself, but I could never produce a photo like this! The focusing and exposure looks incredible!"

The girl brightly smiled at the boy as she lifted her camera. "I modified the F6 a bit so it has a manual focus. A bit more tinkering and I managed to get its auto-focus to work in conjunction with my changes. The same goes for the exposure and shutter speed. And thanks to its newer features—" The girl's face suddenly went red. "Sorry, this must not be interesting…"

"No, it's _fantastic_!" Minato's eyes were wide in amazement. "I get what you're trying to do and it makes sense." He crossed his arms as he considered the camera in his room. "I heard the F6 is much lighter and seeing how its size is smaller than my F5, I believe it. The F5 is also very power intensive, so I can't really carry it around as much as I like."

"Did you consider using lithium batteries to relieve some of the weight?" the girl suggested.

The boy nodded and sheepishly chuckled. "Yeah, I did. But considering there's not many places that sell them, I keep a spare set of regular alkaline batteries instead. I might have found something else I could use as a viable power source, but I'm still testing it before I'm certain I should apply it to my camera."

"That's understandable," the girl responded, lifting her gaze to consider something else. "There is one thing I like about the F5 more than the F6 and that's its Mirror Up function. That and its auto-focusing is much faster. Since I modified the focusing on my camera, it's a lot slower than I would like, even compared to a normal F6."

"Maybe if you—" Minato was interrupted by a ringing coming from his pocket. His phone vibrated against his leg and he took it out to see who it was. He frowned when he realized it was from his sister. "Sorry, I have to take this." He put his phone to his ear and quickly responded with an annoyed scowl, "Hello? Hamuko? What is it? You know you just interrupted me while I was in the middle of something. No, it wasn't for Student Council. Well, it was, but not now. Okay, I'll head back to the classroom now. You know, you're very aggressive for a girl. No, that is not what I love best about you. Fine, fine. Give me a minute and I'll be there." He hung up his phone and gave the photographer an apologetic smile. "I've got to go. Again, sorry for bumping into you. I'll see you around."

"Yes, I hope we can talk like this again." The girl's smile slowly faded as she watched the boy disappear up the stairs.

Minato just about reached the door to his classroom when he groaned to himself. _I forgot to ask for her name! This'll make it much more difficult for me to find her in the future. That and I still haven't repaid her for before… Damn, I'm bad at this._ He opened the door and looked over towards his sister, who was talking with Junpei. "Why are you both still even here in the classroom? I expected you guys would have gone home by now."

"We were just hanging out, talking," Junpei said with a shrug.

"Why'd you call me then?" Minato raised his eyebrow at Hamuko.

"We overheard the rest of Student Council say that you had gone downstairs to resolve some trouble. Hidetoshi-kun came back without you so I was wondering when you'd be back since your stuff was still here." She pointed to his things and the boy noticed that the red-eyed girl went through the trouble of packing everything away for him. "You seem a bit upset."

"No, it's nothing," Minato decided to forgive his sister. She was just worried after all. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "What now?"

Junpei smirked at the two and leaned back in his seat. "FYI, Akihiko-san's at the hospital getting a checkup. He called me earlier, and asked me to bring him something. Yup, he knows who to count on."

Yukari had just returned too and shook her head at the capped boy. "He only asked you cuz you don't have anything else to do after school."

"H-hey, I resent that."

The brunette giggled. "I'm just kidding. So, what'd he want you to bring?"

"The class roster for 2-E."

Minato tilted his head at that. _Ekoda's class? The one with those troublemaking girls from before?_

"What's he want that for?" Yukari asked. "Well, I don't have practice today, so I'll go with you. You're coming too, right?" She turned to the twins.

Hamuko smirked. "Definitely!"

"Cool," Yukari nodded.

Junpei frowned. "W-wait a minute…"

"What? Is there a problem?" Yukari put her hands on her hips.

"Well, it was ME he asked…"

"Well, we can come along too, right?" Yukari turned to Minato. "How about you?"

"I'll pass," Minato tried, hoping the girl from before was still on campus so he could properly introduce himself this time.

"Come on, now," Yukari lightly elbowed him. "I'm sure he wanted us there too… It sounds important, doesn't it?"

"He asked ME, ya know," Junpei said again, standing for emphasis.

Yukari rolled her eyes at him. "If it's important, we should all go together. Right?"

Both boys looked at each other but decided not to argue with her. She did have a point. A bit disappointed in the change in his plans, Minato shrugged. "Whatever."

* * *

Hamuko followed Junpei into the room the nurse told them Akihiko was in. She almost crashed into her friend when he suddenly stopped. She looked over his shoulder to see what was wrong and froze when she saw a familiar maroon coat. A tall boy with a beanie glared at them as they crowded into the room.

Junpei gulped. "Um… Is… Akihiko-senpai…?" The stranger kept his stare level. Junpei mustered as much courage as he could. "…in this room? By any chance?" He nervously chuckled as an attempt to try and break the tension.

Behind them, Minato heard footsteps so turned around to see the familiar white-haired boxer. "What are all of you guys doing here?"

Yukari brightened at the sight of him. "We came to see you! But… it doesn't look like anything's wrong with you."

"I'm just here for a checkup," Akihiko reassured them.

Hamuko was only half paying attention because she was more concerned about the strange visitor in his room. She held her breath as he stood up. For some reason, he didn't rise to his full height and instead leaned forward like a hunched old man. "Is that it, Aki?" he said in a rough voice.

"Yeah, thanks," Akihiko nodded.

 _He must be close to Senpai_ , Hamuko thought.

"Tch… I don't have time for this shit."

 _His attitude is worse than nii-san's_ , Hamuko smirked as she eyed her brother beside her.

The boy came towards them and the four juniors quickly got out of his way. He paused as he passed Hamuko and met her gaze. "You…"

She stared back, mesmerized by his stormy grey eyes. Beside her, she felt Minato tense up as he glared at the taller boy. "You've got a problem?" he asked in a low, challenge-filled voice. The older boy shifted his gaze over to the blue-haired boy and his expression changed slightly. Minato stared back but his eyes widened a little. _The Reaper behind him. He already knows…_ The junior backed down a bit but gave the older boy a knowing frown.

The jacketed boy seemed to understand what went on in the younger boy's mind as he turned to leave. "Never mind," he muttered as he left. Hamuko continued to stare after him until she could no longer see the ends of his coat.

Junpei turned to Akihiko nervously. "Wh-who was that?"

"A friend from school," Akihiko frowned. "Sort of. You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been increasing? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it. Hey Junpei, did you bring what I asked?"

Smiling victoriously, Junpei slipped to his side, waving the folder in the air. "Of course, Senpai."

"Sorry for the trouble," the boxer nodded. "Well then, let's get going!" He took the folder from the junior with his injured arm.

"Uh, you shouldn't move your arm," Junpei managed to splutter out.

"It's nothing. I've wasted enough time already." Akihiko's expression darkened a bit. "I need to get back to my training." Hamuko paused when she saw a pale light appear behind the senior.

"By the way, Senpai," Yukari began, "why boxing?"

"You mean, why did I choose that sport? Well," Akihiko frowned to himself. "It's not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight. I know what it's like to feel powerless." Hamuko continued to stare as the light took the shape of a little girl. "And I don't want to feel that way again. Besides," Hamuko was slightly startled when the girl disappeared and Akihiko jumped to his feet with a smirk. "I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it," Junpei smirked. "Ya know, I'm into games too…"

"Yeah, VIDEO games," Yukari rolled her eyes.

"Oh, but I like fighting games too," Junpei pointed out.

"Whatever," Yukari sighed.

Hamuko giggled at that as she tried to get the image of the little girl out of her mind. "You almost sound like nii-san."

"Hey, that wasn't what I was trying to do," Yukari's face became slightly red as she looked over towards Minato. "You get it, right?"

The blue-haired boy was staring out the window, focused on a figure outside wearing a long maroon cloak. Half paying attention to the flow of the conversation, Minato let out a long sigh. "Whatever," he muttered as the Reaper patiently tailed the tall boy.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Minato head fell against his desk as he stared at his camera. The darn thing was way too heavy and if he eventually did join Gekkoukan's Photography Club, he'd rather not lug it with him all day at school. So far, he's only been using it around the dorm and during weekends, but even then, his budget for batteries was extremely tight given he had to prioritize on medicine and equipment for the team.

He picked up the glowing blue crystals again and it whispered to him. It still freaked him out slightly, but he learned to ignore it. It would help if he actually had his headphones and music player, but Hamuko needed them more.

"I guess I can stop messing with my camera until I can get a second opinion on it," he said to himself as he took out Hamuko's music player. He connected it to his computer so he could back up his sister's files. Curiously, he noticed a new folder in the machine that he had never seen before. He frowned as he clicked on it. "Rumors about nii-san?"

His face went red as he listened to the various recorded audio files his sister had taken. He didn't recognize some of the voices since the timestamp revealed that some of the rumors dated back to when they were in middle school, but he did recognize the ones with Hamuko's voice laughing in the background. He definitely recognized her voice when she was the one spreading rumors about him.

 _"Minato's actually a girl~"_

 _"Minato and I are dating. Yeah, we're twins. Is something wrong~?"_

 _"Nii-san's blue hair is actually because of a terminal illness~"_

Instead of spending the night modifying the music player like he initially planned, he spent it listening to all of the files, finding them all to be unique in one way or another. In the morning, as Hamuko came down to wake her older brother, she noticed he had fallen asleep at his desk.

"Nii-san, that's not very healthy." She shook him awake and looked over his shoulder to see what he had been doing the entire night. "Oh… Maybe I should have hidden that from you."

Minato slowly sat up. "So now I know the source of the rumors being spread around campus. Why must you do this to me?"

Hamuko looked at him oddly. "Nii-san… Those rumors at Gekkoukan didn't come from me… You listened to the recordings, right? None of those were me. I never reuse a rumor twice, after all."

Her older brother slammed his head back into his desk again. "I hate people…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I really do wish Shinji was made more available towards the start of the game, especially when playing as Hamuko... Man... Minato's really bad at social skills... Although, I tend to usually not ask for names either... I prefer to pick up names in a group setting because I see it like a detective game. That and I don't really want to sound rude... If I'm asked for my name, then it's fair game for me to ask too... But at this point, I would ask too... It's embarrassing to not know another person's name while they know mine... Of course, I could just be thinking into the situation too much.


	10. Train to Hell

**Author's Notes:** A bit late today because I had some travelling to do... Speaking of transportation... I don't really like driving... I'm a good driver and all, but either I think too much or not at all and that may lead to mishaps... Like a flat tire... Um... Yeah... But that's beside the point, we're not focused on cars today. Instead, our team is dealing with the monorail system. First operation commence!

* * *

~2 MAY 2009~

After an easy day at school, Hamuko smiled at her brother as they returned from Bookworms. "I like them. They remind me of Gram."

"They also very dote on us like Grandmother used to," Minato softly smiled. He frowned as he considered the news they got that day. "I feel bad about the persimmon tree though. Maybe I can bring this up to Kirijo-senpai when she's not busy."

"Sounds like a plan," Hamuko nodded as she opened the front door.

Junpei greeted them as they entered. "S'up, dude? Three-day weekend starting tomorrow! I asked some peeps if they wanted to hang out, but the only ones interested were guys… Man, I don't want no sausage fest…"

Mitsuru frowned as she looked up from her book. "I don't mean to interrupt, but need I remind you that midterms are quickly approaching? You had best use your time wisely."

Yukari sighed. "You HAD to remind me."

Hamuko elbowed her brother. "You've been studying, right? I don't want this year to be a repeat of last year."

"Relax. Why do you think we stopped by Bookworms?" He held up the bag of study materials. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get started."

Proud that he was taking his grades seriously, Hamuko smirked as he went upstairs. Through the bag though, she frowned when she noticed a technical book on public transport systems. _When did he get an interest in…?_ The girl immediately shrugged it off. _Well, nii-san does have his quirks._

Hamuko retired to her room and studied alone before she could no longer keep her eyes open. That night, she dreamed of her brother, sitting in his bed, reading his new book. It was an odd dream, but somehow, Hamuko sensed that it wasn't quite a dream. A boy suddenly appeared on her brother's bed and smiled.

"Hi, how've you been?" the young boy asked cheerfully.

"You again?" Minato asked without looking up from his book.

"It's been a while," the boy chuckled. "Are you well?"

"How did you get in?"

The boy tilted his head to the side and frowned. "What kind of welcome is that? Besides, I'm always with you." He placed a hand over his heart.

"You've said that before," Minato pointed out, setting his book aside after placing a bookmark in it.

"Well, it's true," the boy said, his smile returning. "One week from now, there will be a full moon… Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you…"

The blue-haired boy stared at his bed sheets blankly. "A full moon, huh…?" Hamuko rolled her eyes at what her brother was hung up on.

"Yes, on such days you will face your greatest challenges."

Minato looked up to the boy at that. "What kind of ordeal?"

"You will encounter one of THEM." The boy's voice became serious. "You must prepare for the ordeal, but time is of the essence… I'm sure you're aware of that, of course." He stood up and Hamuko couldn't tell if he was staring at her, but she felt like he was. Soon, he faded away. "I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now."

The next morning, Hamuko went down to the second floor to check on her brother, before realizing it was a Sunday. She paused before turning back to let him sleep in for the day. As she came downstairs, she noticed her brother was going through his new book as he sipped from a mug of coffee.

"Morning," he nodded to her as he seemed intently fixated on his book.

"Morning," she responded, wondering whether or not to bring up the discussion of her odd dream. "Nii-san?"

"Hm?" He turned a page but didn't look up.

"Last night…. Did you…?" Sensing something was bothering her, the boy set his book down and directed his blue eyes towards the younger twin. Hamuko shook her head. "Never mind."

Minato frowned as he marked where he left off. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I should get back to studying," Hamuko said, pouring herself a glass of juice before returning upstairs. She closed the door behind her and took out her books. _I shouldn't worry him anymore than necessary,_ she thought while flipping through her notebook. _And I definitely shouldn't start doubting him now. I trust nii-san._ She paused and frowned to herself. _I wish I could do more to help him though..._

* * *

~8 MAY 2009~

Hamuko continued with her school life, but she never let herself forget about her odd dream. She constantly worried over her brother after all and it didn't help that Minato began to request more frequent visits to Tartarus. More often than not, at least one member was either tired or sick but Minato forced himself to make do with everyone's scheduling conflicts. This only made the younger twin all the more concerned because no matter how fatigued he was, she noticed her brother was adamant of getting in some extra training. He was exerting himself way more than he had to.

It got to the point where the blue-haired boy was extremely irate in the mornings, even with her. Their classmates noticed too, but said nothing as he continued to extend his reach towards them. "These are the responsibilities I chose to put myself through," Minato had told her the day before when she asked why he was trying so hard. He laughed it off before teasing her. "Normally, it'd be the other way around, wouldn't it? Me telling you to take it easy?"

"I'm being serious here," Hamuko tried to say, but her brother gave her a knowing smile before returning to that damn book on trains. Every once in a while he opened a textbook, but what was so important about his new book that made him refuse to put it down?

The red-eyed girl sat in morning classes, watching as Toriumi was lecturing on the various uses of commas. Her eyes soon wandered to her sleeping brother. At least, he should have been sleeping. Instead, it looks like he was actually paying attention in class. Hamuko noticed the bags under his eyes as he lifted his head to get a better look at the board.

She turned back to face the board too and jotted a few more notes down in her notebook. Her eyes lazily passed over the day's date before widening in surprise. _Tomorrow's the full moon_ , she realized. How could she have forgotten when she made sure to mark down every full moon that was going to occur for the rest of the year? _That's it,_ she told herself as she looked back to her brother. _I'll talk to him about it today during Lunch._

The period ended and she was about to call out to the blue-haired boy when Toriumi got her attention. "Hamuko, a moment please?"

Minato turned as he heard her sister get called over. He shook his head to turn down Kenji and Kaz's invitation to lunch and Hamuko couldn't help but gratefully smile at how much of a worrywart her brother was.

Hamuko went up to the teacher's podium and waited as Toriumi flipped through her notes. When the teacher finally looked up, the lady gave her a relieved smile. "Ah, there you are. I'd like a word with you. You haven't joined any committees yet, have you? I know this is sudden, but there's some positions that just became vacant that I'd like you to take on. I mean, students are obligated to join a school committee. I'll let you choose which one you'd like to join. Which of these would you rather join? The school health committee or the library committee?"

Hamuko thought about it before deciding she'd rather not spend more time in the infirmary than was necessary. Edogawa was kind of a creep and visiting him almost every day with her brother to drink his medicine was beginning to get on her last nerves. "Library Committee."

"All right," Toriumi nodded. "Thank you. Well, go on over to the library after school today."

"Got it," Hamuko nodded before heading over to her brother.

Minato tilted his head to the side. "For a second, I thought you were in trouble." He knit his eyebrows together. "I'd expected you to choose the Student Health Committee. Didn't you want to be a nurse?"

Hamuko scrunched up her face in distaste. "Mr. Edogawa isn't quite the nurse I want to be."

"True," the boy smiled as he pulled out two bento boxes from his bag. "It was my turn to make lunch today. Besides, we haven't eaten together in a while between all our clubs and friends getting in the way." He sheepishly looked away as he handed his younger sister a pair of chopsticks. "Of course, that might just be my fault for prioritizing studying over other things too."

"No, it's cool," Hamuko reassured him as she began picking at her food. "I was busy too. It wasn't just your fault."

"Good," Minato sighed in relief. "I thought you were avoiding me."

"No, I'd never do that, nii-san," the girl looked up at him with sad red eyes. "You're my big brother."

"That's right. And I'll always have your back, so I'm entrusting you with mine," he smirked. He cleared his desk before finally eating. "Speaking of which, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Hamuko watched him curiously.

"Tomorrow is a full moon," he plainly stated.

"And?" The girl tried to mimic his deadpan expression.

"Something's going to happen," he replied back in the same way.

Deciding it would be best to come clean to her brother, Hamuko shoveled some rice into her mouth. "Yeah, I know. I had a dream about you talking to that weird boy."

"Really?" Minato was more surprised than angry, much to Hamuko's relief. He actually seemed like a weight was taken off his shoulders. "I guess we really are twins after all." He seemed embarrassed all of a sudden. "And I was spending all this time trying to figure out how I'd explain it to you… I thought you'd think I was crazy for trusting a boy we've only met a few times."

Hamuko shrugged. "That boy reminds me of you."

"Huh?" The blue-eyed boy looked at her with confusion. "Really?"

"Well, he has some of your habits," she thoughtfully pointed out. "I can't really explain it either but I feel like I can trust him too."

"I'm glad we agree on this then," Minato smiled. "If he says we have an ordeal coming up," he seriously nodded, "I'll take his word for it and prepare."

"Is that why you've been reading up on trains?" Hamuko asked.

"Huh?" Again, the girl caught him off guard. "No, actually. Well, not quite. I kinda am, but kinda not. That's a different story altogether. It has to do with that fortune teller we met at Pawlonia Mall that one time."

"Snrk." The girl stifled her laughter and smirked at her brother. "Really? They actually let you into Club Escapade?"

"Hey, Mama has her connections with the owner."

"Is that her name? Mama?"

"Sh-shut up," Minato lowered his head but smiled back at his sister. He stopped as he stared at his bento. "Hey… Thanks, sis. I needed this."

Hamuko could see the fatigue in his eyes so sighed. "We both needed this, nii-san."

He looked back up towards her and just noticed her fatigue too. "Yeah, you're right. Let's not go to Tartarus tonight. The two of us need to rest for tomorrow."

"Agreed," his sister nodded. She cast her gaze over at his lunch. "Can I have your last octopus sausage?"

"No," the older brother turned his lunch away from her and tried to use his body as a shield. "I already put in two extras into your bento!"

"Aw… Come on, don't be so stingy, nii-san."

"Cut it out! We're not little kids anymore!"

Hamuko laughed as she tried to grab his last piece of sausage only to have him steal an omelet from her box. "Hey! That's not fair!" Still, she couldn't help but break out into light-hearted laughter. As they continued eating, Hamuko smiled to herself while looking up at her dear brother. _Yeah, I was worried over nothing. Nii-san is still nii-san no matter what happens._

* * *

~9 MAY 2009~

Minato sat on his bed as he waited for the Dark Hour to arrive. Hamuko was staring out his window as he continued to absently flip through his book. _Hopefully we're prepared for tonight_ , he thought to himself as he stared at a diagram of a light rail console. His eyes were getting tired so he closed the book and leaned back against his bed's headboard, pushing away his bangs as he did so. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep a little?" he asked his sister before closing his eyes.

"You know how I get, nii-san," Hamuko looked at him with a frown. "If I sleep now, there's no knowing when I'd wake up." She smiled when she saw him resting his eyes. "Done reading up on trains?"

"For the most part," he replied. "Did you now the Shinkansen was opened to coincide with the 1964 Tokyo Olympics? Besides being a massive tourist trap for foreigners, the speed of the bullet train must have been a physical marvel."

"Well, can you give me the formula used to calculate acceleration?" She quizzed him.

"Velocity is equal to initial velocity plus acceleration times time. Therefore, acceleration is equal to velocity minus its initial divided by time. 'A' equals 'v' minus 'u' all over 't'. Now if you're asking for acceleration due to gravity—"

"No, I'm good on that front," Hamuko teased her brother.

"Oh, come on. I need the practice if I want to do well during Midterms."

"Let's take this one step at a time. The ordeal first, Midterms next." Hamuko frowned as the Dark Hour finally arrived. "I wonder how long we'll have to wait."

"Who knows? It would be even better if nothing happens, but I doubt it," Minato kept his eyes closed as he tried to recall the image of the light rail console.

* * *

Mitsuru sighed as the radio frequencies buzzed in silence. Akihiko looked up at her from fixing his boxing gloves. "You're still at it?" the white-haired boy asked worriedly.

"Yeah. You never know when the enemy might appear."

"But, I thought you couldn't scan outside of Tartarus?"

Mitsuru closed her eyes to dissuade her slight migraine. "To be honest, I lack the power… Maybe this is the best Penthesilea can do in terms of data gathering. Although, the power of Persona seems to be much broader than I thought. We've even got two people who can switch Personas in the middle of battle. There's something special about their abilities. It hasn't been that long since their awakenings, either."

Akihiko nodded in understanding. "I have to admit, I was surprised too. But in the end, it's up to them whether or not they can reach their full potentials."

Mitsuru silently agreed but paused when the radio frequency slightly altered. "Huh…? It's a Shadow!"

The boxer was immediately on his feet. "What!? You actually found one!?"

"Wait, something's not right. The reading is too big. We've never encountered anything like—"

"You mean, it's one of those!?" Akihiko's eyes widened in surprise.

"It must be," Mitsuru solemnly replied.

"Well then, this is gonna be fun. I'll wake up the others." The senior triggered the alarm and it didn't take long before the four juniors were up.

"We're here!" Yukari said as she came into the command room.

"Where is it!?" Junpei looked around, still groggy from waking up so suddenly. "I'll rip it a new one!"

Hamuko and Minato were the last to come in but they said nothing. Mitsuru noticed the two were rather calm about the situation, as if they already sensed something was amiss. She ignored this feeling though as she informed the four of the current situation. "We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus. We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one. We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible. Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists. But, if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all costs."

Junpei nodded with a smirk growing on his face. "In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!"

Yukari sighed at his simplicity. "Junpei…"

"Akihiko," Mitsuru turned to the other senior, "you stay here and wait for the Chairman."

"Wha—!?" He quickly got over his shock before glaring at the redhead. "Are you kidding!? I'm going!"

"You still need to recover," she pointed out. "You'll just be a hindrance."

"Tch!" Akihiko looked down at his arm. It was better for the most part, but even he was uncertain if he could last long in a fight. He didn't want to admit that to her though.

"They'll fare better than you, in your current state. Have faith in them, Akihiko… They're ready. You'll get your chance. But for now, wait for the Chairman."

"Dammit…" Akihiko reluctantly sat at the control console.

Junpei flashed him a big smile. "Relax! I've got it covered!"

Akihiko turned towards Hamuko. "I guess I've got no choice… You're in charge."

"Her again…?" Junpei's face fell.

"It'll be just like in Tartarus," Mitsuru looked to the twins. "We're counting on you."

"Leave it to me!" Hamuko gave them a determined expression. Behind her, Minato gave a curt nod.

Akihiko smirked at the twins. "I know you can do this."

Junpei grumbled as he looked over to Hamuko. "Guess it's pretty much decided that you're out leader, huh…? Even when I'm the only guy in the group…"

"Excuse you?" Hamuko glared at Junpei.

Minato meanwhile gave him a frown. "Really, man? Not cool."

Mitsuru's eyes flashed as she glared at Junpei, sending a chill down his spine. "Whether one is a man or a woman doesn't factor into it. The responsibility falls to those who have the gift." Minato shifted a bit at her words. "And let me add, if you ever say or do anything to condescend her because she's a woman…" She left the threat hang, but Akihiko and Minato shared a look of sympathy.

"Oh, no, no no no!" Junpei quickly tried to pull himself out of the grave he dug for himself. "It's not like I look down on her or anything…"

Akihiko shook his head as he dismissed them. "You four should hurry and go on ahead. Mitsuru, you need to get ready, right?"

"Indeed." Mitsuru pulled up a map on the console and pointed to where they would meet. "Let's rendezvous in front of the station."

Yukari nodded. "Got it. Alright, let's go!"

* * *

Minato's scowl deepened into a frown as he stared up at the station. _As I thought. Good thing I prepared for this, sort of. It depends if we'll have to fight on the tracks or in the light rail itself._

Behind him, Yukari let out an impatient sigh. "Where is she?"

"She'll be here soon," Junpei shrugged.

"There's a full moon tonight," Yukari noted. "But, it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour…"

Hamuko glanced up at the moon and agreed. She turned back to her brother, but watched as he never took his eyes off the monorail. _Nii-san…_

The only thing that made him turn was the roar of an engine coming towards them. "Hm?"

Junpei quickly got up, startled by the sound. "Huh? What the!?"

Mitsuru dismounted her motorcycle and took off her helmet. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"A motorcycle…?" Yukari asked as she examined the vehicle.

Mitsuru ignored her. "Listen carefully. Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same." She looked over towards the twins who gave her a nod. "The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station." She watched as Minato narrowed his eyes. "To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

Junpei grew wide-eyed. "Are you serious!? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Don't worry," Mitsuru reassured them. "No electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails."

"But, your bike," Junpei stared at it.

"It's special," Mitsuru smirked. "Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you immediately. Let's get started."

Hamuko lifted her naginata and pointed to the monorail. "Everyone, let's roll out!"

Yukari jumped at her friend's enthusiasm. "Huh!? O-okay!"

Junpei frowned. "Is this how we're gonna do this?"

Minato remained silent as he followed the three towards the monorail. Hamuko looked back at him and he tapped his sword against the bottom of his left shoe. _Most probable scenario: A fight inside a monorail so keep everyone together and focused_ , he signaled.

His sister nodded as she led them up the tracks. Once they got up, Mitsuru spoke to them through the transceiver. _"There's a monorail about 200 meters ahead. You have to stop the Shadows before they harm the passengers. Hurry!"_

It didn't take too long to reach the monorail. Minato kept his eyes peeled for danger, but noticed the monorail was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. _Tch,_ he scowled. _Most probable worst case scenario: The monorail starts with us on it. Dark Hour or not._ He kept the thought to himself as Yukari examined the car's exterior.

The girl placed a hand on a ladder rung. "This is it… right?"

 _"Can you all hear me?"_

"Yes," Yukari replied as she brought the transceiver up to her mouth. "I can hear you clearly. We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary…"

 _Well, everything is out of the ordinary,_ Minato wryly thought as he tried to search for the Shadow.

 _"The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together."_

"Got it," Yukari said as she put the transceiver away.

Junpei bounced giddily and chuckled. "My Persona's just beggin' to be used!"

"Well then, let's head on in!" Yukari was the first to jump onto the ladder. She paused before glaring at the two boys. "Don't look up."

Minato turned around as Junpei rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But don't blame me if I happen to catch a glimpse…" He smirked at both girls.

Yukari and Hamuko exchanged a glance before the archer smiled at a thought of her own. "Say… What do you say we bury Junpei here and leave him behind?"

Getting impatient, Minato let out an audible sigh. "Just hurry up. We don't have all night," he reminded them. As it was finally his turn to climb up, he carefully kept an eye on the team. _I don't have a good feeling about this,_ he signaled to his sister by pulling on his bangs.

Junpei stared at a coffin standing off to the side of the car. "This poor stiff must be a passenger… He's been Transmogged, huh… Creepy. So… guys like him don't remember a thing, right? It's probably better that way."

Yukari looked around. "Huh…? Wait a minute. We're not at a station, but the doors are wide—" The door they entered from suddenly closed before Minato could act.

Junpei ran to the next door to try and hold it open but it shut on him. "Damn, it won't open! Ow, my fingers! Will ya look at them! They're all jacked up!"

 _"What's wrong? What happened!?"_

"It looks like we're trapped inside," Yukari said.

Minato started moving towards the front of the car as he nodded to his sister to take their rear. _We're switching positions._

 _"It must be the Shadow… It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution!"_

"R-roger!" Yukari followed after Minato into the next car.

"What the heck?" Junpei looked around as Hamuko followed behind him. "I don't see any Shadows…"

Minato said nothing as he continued forward. _The longer we stay here, the more danger we're in. Have to keep moving._

Yukari did her best to keep up to the blue-haired boy's pace. "It's so quiet it's creepy…"

Minato opened the door to the next car and looked around before entering. A Shadow escaped his notice as it dropped down from above surprising Yukari. The girl gasped as Junpei jumped at the chance to quickly get rid of it.

"There it is!" The Shadow ran away from the capped boy as he gave chase.

Minato reached for the boy's jacket. "Junpei, no! Get back here!" He sharply pulled the boy back to stop him from leaving the car.

 _"Wait! Something's not right… The enemy is acting strangely."_

"But, if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei frowned.

 _"Yuki, Arisato, you're in command there. What do you two think?"_

Minato didn't even need to signal to his sister what he thought. The red-eyed girl had already pieced it together herself and replied for the both of them. "We need to be cautious," she sternly glared at Junpei.

 _"I agree. It would be foolish to blindly chase after it."_

Minato finally said what had already been on his mind this entire time. "It's obviously a trap. Everyone, stick together and don't do anything reckless." He directed it mainly towards Junpei who knocked Minato's hand off his jacket.

"Who needs your advice!? We can beat that thing no problem! Hell, I'll do it myself! You guys just stay back and watch me!" Without another word, he ran into the next car.

Yukari called out to him. "Junpei! Wait!"

"Idiot, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Minato cried out before he saw a Reaper flash before his eyes. He turned immediately and grabbed Hamuko's arm. He roughly pulled his sister towards him as two Shadows fell from the ceiling.

 _"Watch out! Behind you!"_

Yukari finally noticed the enemy behind them, but Minato and Hamuko quickly took care of them. She sighed as the boy wordlessly finished off the Shadows. "This is just what the enemy wanted…"

"You think?" Minato scowled as he started for the next car.

 _"We have no choice. You have to go after him, or you'll be picked off one by one."_

"Dammit, Stupei!" Yukari called out. "What are you thinking!?"

 _"From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead."_

"Okay, we'll catch up to—" Yukari was interrupted as more Shadows appeared to impede them. "Get out of our way!" She quickly fired her bow and Hamuko took care of the Shadows behind them.

Minato skillfully slipped his sword into a Shadow and neatly sliced it as he continued to make his way forward. _This isn't good. The longer it takes for us to find Junpei, the more likely the Shadow will separate the cars._ He ran a few different scenarios in his head before angrily summoning Nekomata. "Maragi!" The remaining Shadows caught on fire and the three quickly finished them off.

Yukari checked the next car but shook her head. "Junpei's not in this car, either." She sighed. "He should know it's too dangerous to go alone. Don't you think he's acting weird?" She looked to the twins in confusion. "Did you say anything to upset him?"

Minato didn't answer as he was preoccupied with his own thoughts but Hamuko shrugged. "I don't think so," she shook her head.

"Well, we can ask him once we've caught up to him!" Yukari said as Minato once again took the lead. It took a few more cars, but the brunette was relieved when she finally saw the familiar baseball cap Junpei wore. "There he is!" She frowned when she noticed the crowd of Shadows. "Shoot! He's surrounded!? We've gotta help him!" She charged forward. "Junpei!"

Hearing her, the capped boy grit his teeth. "I've got it under control! Take this, you freak of nature!"

Minato said nothing as he jumped in, easily dispatching them in a matter of seconds much to Junpei's chagrin, while Hamuko immediately healed any injuries Junpei might have sustained. When the danger completely passed, Yukari quickly berated Junpei for going off without them. "See! That's what happens when you don't listen! So, are you alright?"

"O-of course I am," Junpei tried to bluff. "I was doin' just fine…" He enviously looked towards Minato who was already moving towards the next car.

 _"Be careful, you four! I don't detect any movement, but stay alert!"_

"Tch," Minato scowled as he reached for the car door. The monorail lurched forward and he grabbed the door to steady himself. "Oh no…" He froze up as three new Reapers began circling around the team. More appeared for every passenger on the train and soon, his vision tunneled.

Junpei's eyes grew wide. "Whoa, what the!? Why're we moving!?"

 _"It seems the monorail is under the enemy's control…"_

"Whaddya mean, 'it seems'!?" Yukari screamed, panic written all over her face.

"Uh… This doesn't look good," Junpei tried to steady himself.

"You think?" Hamuko sarcastically asked as she grabbed onto something. She saw her brother growing pale and she hurried to his side. _Oh, no. Please, nii-san. You can't freeze up. Not now!_

 _"If we can't stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!"_

"WHAT!?" Yukari's breathing became uneasy. "Oh, God! What are we gonna do!?"

 _"Calm down and listen."_ Mitsuru tried her best to keep the panic out of her voice. _"I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we're after. You'll have to defeat it to stop the train!"_

"You hear that, nii-san!?" Hamuko tried to get her brother to focus on her. "We just need to defeat that Shadow!"

More Shadows appeared and Junpei let out a frustrated growl. "What kind of messed-up ride is this!?" He swung his sword towards a Shadow. "Could use some help here!"

Yukari assisted him and although she didn't want to leave her brother's side, Hamuko pulled out her Evoker. "Persona!" Orpheus appeared and flames managed to down one of the Shadows.

Minato blinked as he felt the heat glance him. _Th-that's right. W-we have to f-fight the Sh-shadows…_ His shaking hand pulled out his Evoker and he focused. "Nekomata!" The cat spirit cast another fire spell and all of the Shadows wilted.

Junpei kicked the last Shadow aside before Mitsuru's urgent voice spoke up. _"You don't have much time! Run!"_

Minato felt his heart get caught in his throat as he charged forward. The three Reapers continued to race around him, but he continued onward. His hand tightened around his sword and Hamuko could see his knuckles turn white.

"W-we'll be okay, nii-san!" She tried to reassure him, but she couldn't tell if her words reached him. The car suddenly rumbled, causing her to lurch forward and Junpei grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

Minato wasn't as lucky as he slammed into the front of the car. Feeling something drip from his face, he reached up with his left hand to touch his searing nose. He stared at the blood blankly as he heard Yukari call out from behind him. "H-hey!? We're gaining speed."

Minato could now hear his rapid heartbeats deep within his ear drums. He threw the door open and although the world spun around him, he only focused on what was awaiting ahead of him. Anything to keep his mind off the many Reapers that swam around them, suffocating him. He stopped when he found what he was looking for. A massive female Shadow sat unsteadily before him, legs spread. He didn't pay any attention to it as he eyed the small control room behind it. His vision blurred even more and he could feel himself teetering. _What do I do now?_ he thought as the Shadow blocked the entrance.

Junpei slowed down as he caught up and stared at the Shadow. "What the hell!? Is this the friggin' boss?"

"We're in the front car; it's gotta be!" Yukari aimed her bow.

"Let's take it out!" Hamuko nodded, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder.

Minato twitched from the contact as he was partially pulled himself out of the swirling panic in his mind. _R-right…_ "L-let's go!" he cried out shakily, but he didn't care if anyone else noticed. He let out a roar and slashed the large Shadow.

Behind him, Hamuko relayed to Mitsuru that they found the Shadow. "Please scan it for weaknesses!" she called out as she dodged an ice spell.

The Shadow let out a groan as more Shadows came to its aid. Yukari quickly recognized them from Tartarus and quickly pulled out her Evoker. "Io!" When she hit the Muttering Tiara with a wind spell, she expected it to drop to the ground, but she frowned as she called out towards Hamuko. "They're not weak to wind!"

"Let's try ice then!" Minato readied his Evoker to summon Apsaras. Before he could pull the trigger however, the larger Shadow kicked at him. Her eyes glowed as it cast a spell and Minato's head began swimming in panic. He dropped to his knees and began to hyperventilate. _W-what!? R-r-reapers! E-everywhere!_ "L-leave me alone!" He let out a tortured scream as he clutched his head.

The bloodcurdling sound caused Hamuko to turn. "N-nii-san!"

 _"Yuki! You need to move!"_ Mitsuru warned. It was too late as the large Shadow swept her arm and slam it into the blue-haired boy. _"Yuki!"_

"He's panicked!" Hamuko desperately turned to Yukari. "Hurry and cast Patra!"

"He's hurt too badly! I need to use Dia first!"

"I've got that covered," Hamuko stubbornly said as she took out her own Evoker. "Junpei, you'd better cover us!"

"On it!" Junpei quickly summoned Hermes to charge into the large Shadow as he took out a smaller one with a swing of his sword.

 _"All of you be careful. The Priestess Shadow has no weaknesses. Avoid using ice. Someone hurry and get Yuki out of there!"_

Minato's head rang as he watched his frantic teammates try to come to his rescue. As Junpei reached for him, the blue-haired boy noticed a Reaper reaching a bony hand out towards the tall swordsman. "Stop!" Minato screamed as he forced himself to jump in between the Reaper and Junpei. "Kgh!"

Junpei's eyes widened as he didn't even notice the Priestess's Bufu spell coming at him, yet Minato had taken it for him. "D-dude!" The swordsman quickly snapped out of it and knelt down at Minato's side, lifting him up. Junpei grit his teeth as he called out to the girls for some assistance. "H-he's in bad shape! We need a healing spell over here!" Junpei saw the large Shadow swing an arm at them so quickly brought his sword up. "C-come on, dude," he tried to get Minato respond. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Minato could barely hear the Magician. His head was throbbing and his body hurt all over. And the Reapers… They wouldn't go away. How was he expected to fight in such a condition? The running train didn't help either. They were going to die here. And it would have been because he failed them as leader. It was going to be his fault they died. _My fault!?_ The memory of a large fire on a bridge flashed through his mind. He heard a young boy scream in his mind and he brought his hands to his ears.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko's shrill scream suddenly reached him.

Uncertain whether it was his sister screaming from his memory or around him, Minato slowly lifted his head. "Hamuko?" He unsteadily stood up and felt Junpei shove him aside as a hand came down on where he had just been standing. Minato quickly scanned the car and saw Hamuko trapped in a corner, helping Yukari up. "Hamuko!?" Minato brought his Evoker up and roared. "Get away from her!" He fired multiple times to ensure the Muttering Tiaras were defeated. It left him drained, but Hamuko quickly caught him.

"It's okay," she whispered reassuringly to him. "The Reapers won't get us."

He nodded as he understood. The two pulled out their Evokers and simultaneously summoned their Personas. "Apsaras!"

"Orpheus!"

The two of them called out together. "Fusion Spell: Cadenza!"

Everyone was refreshed and although Minato could still see the Reapers haunting them. He decided to ignore them as he prepared his sword. Junpei continued hacking at the large Shadow and Yukari supported them from behind with her arrows. Hamuko stood near her and she used Alp to repair Minato's injuries.

"Junpei!" Minato called out. "Use Hermes and give it your best shot!"

"Got it!" The capped boy jumped back and smirked defiantly at the Shadow. "Hermes!"

Hermes charged towards the Shadow. Minato calculated the point in his mind where the Persona would land its attack and smirked when it was at the Shadow's heart. Minato ran forward and thrust his sword forward as his friend's Persona vanished. "Graah!" The Shadow moaned as it disintegrated. It stared at Minato and reached a hand for his face, but the boy stepped back in slight disgust before it could touch him. _Sorry, but I can't tolerate such sloppiness. Not from you… Or me…_

Junpei gave him a relieved smile. "Did we make it in time?" He looked out the window and straightened up. "Hey! Why're we still moving!?"

The car shook as Minato felt the train accelerate. Yukari screamed. "We're going too fast! We have to put on the brakes or else…!"

 _"What are you waiting for!?"_ Mitsuru screamed at them, no longer able to retain her composure. _"There's a train up ahead!"_

Junpei looked around frantically. "Dammit! I don't know how to stop this thing!"

Hamuko tightly grabbed onto a rail to remain upright. "Nii-san!"

"Leave it to me!" Minato darted straight for the control, but his eyes widened when the console didn't match the one from his book. _Crap!_

Yukari let out a scream and Minato instinctively pushed a button. The train jerked and Minato collided into the console before stumbling backwards as everything except his heartbeat violently screeched into a stop.

Junpei was gasping for air. "D-did we stop?"

"I-I think so…" Yukari slowly got up.

 _"Is everybody alright!?"_

"Uh, y-yeah, we're okay." She let out shaky laugh. "My knees are shaking…"

"Dude," Junpei smirked at Minato who was still lying on the floor, trying to get his heart to stop racing. "I'm like drenched in sweat…"

Hamuko took an unsteady step towards her brother but her knees buckled. "N-nii-san…"

Minato heard the relief in her voice and nodded. "Y-yeah…" He tried to get up but ended up falling into his sister's arms. He hugged her tightly as the two tried to support each other. He buried his face into her shoulder so their friends wouldn't see the tears in his eyes. "I-I'm so glad…"

He heard a sigh from the transceiver as Mitsuru sounded just as tense as they were during the whole ordeal. _"I'm so glad you're safe. I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end. I don't detect any more Shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home."_

Minato finally released his sister and wiped his bloody face with his sleeve. Yukari looked at him curiously. "But, how did you know which one was the brake?"

The boy smiled as he looked down at his right hand. "I trusted my instincts," he breathed before he using it to push back his bangs. He let his hand rest over his usually hidden eye for a while though as he took a moment to calm down and recollect his thoughts.

Hamuko smiled when she saw that he was being genuinely honest. _So I guess his whole 'be prepared' thing was a wash… At least everything turned out okay._

Yukari smiled at the blue-eyed boy. "You saved me again. Thanks."

"Yeah, it's because of you that we're alive, man!" Junpei agreed, pulling the blue-haired boy up to his feet. "Cheer up! Wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm freakin' hungry!"

Hamuko laughed as the Fool Arcana flashed before her eyes. "Come on. Let's get back before Senpai worries." She grabbed her brother's hand as he lifted her up.

"When the Dark Hour's over, I'll whip us up something back at the dorm," Minato offered. "Any requests? Yukari?"

"Uh… Sure," the girl shrugged before sternly glaring at him. "Wait! You're the one who took the worst beating. I'll be the one cooking!"

"I'm fine! Honest!" Minato took a step forward before his exhaustion hit him like a wave. "N-nothing to w-worry about…" He managed to weakly say before he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"So I'm confused," Junpei frowned. "Who's actually in charge?"

"Mitsuru-senpai," Hamuko answered.

"But you're our leader?"

"I'm co-leader actually," the girl shrugged as she slapped Minato's hand away from Junpei's French fries.

"But what about your brother?" Junpei pointed to the boy sitting next to Yukari.

"He's leader," she sipped her drink.

"But I thought Mitsuru-senpai's in charge."

"She is," the red-eyed brunette stole a fry from the capped boy.

"Wait, what? How does that even make sense?"

Yukari sighed as she broke it down for him. "Mitsuru-senpai is the official leader of SEES. Minato is our field leader while Hamuko is co-leader." She reached across the table and picked a fry off Junpei's plate.

"Oh, I get it now," Junpei nodded, taking one of his fries for himself. "Just one more thing." Both girls looked up at him and Minato lifted his head from his burger. "Don't you all have your own fries?"

The three other juniors looked to each other. Minato simply shrugged as he took everyone's fries and dumped them onto Junpei's plate. "Happy?"

Junpei only stared at their leader with disbelief, as did the other two girls. "This guy is our leader!?"

"Oh, my bad." Minato pulled the plate of fries towards him into the center of the table so they'd be easier for him to reach. "There."

The three others groaned as they left the arrangement alone.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** And so our team emerges victorious. I'm guessing the brake used on the monorail is mechanical because if electrical devices don't work, they should have all died. I remember the first time playing, the Priestess gave me a huge scare with the whole 8 minutes to find it and defeat thing... Not too bad so long you prioritize the Shadow itself instead of its minions. Junpei, Junpei, Junpei... My first impression of him was that he was the 'joke rival/idiot' character. I only put up with him because he's the best available physical type character for the majority of the game, but I didn't really appreciate him until going through his Social Link script for Hamuko... that added on top of who he actually is as a character... to me, he's pathetic but he knows it. That's why he tries so hard. His intentions are pure and honest, but... the execution of his actions need work... But that's me being biased because I love the cool-type characters... Like Minato... Yup...


	11. Fuuka Yamagishi

**Author's Notes:** Early upload today because I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep.

* * *

~10 MAY 2009~

"Are you sure about this, Yuki?" Mitsuru asked the blue-haired boy as she looked up from the control panel.

"Yes," Minato seriously nodded. "I'll talk it over with Hamuko later, but she'll probably be fine with the change. I'll take full responsibility as field leader of SEES."

The redhead stared at the boy curiously. "Might I ask what brought about this change?"

"Last night, I froze up in the midst of battle," Minato shamefully admitted, not looking at the senior. "If we had failed, the four of us would have died and the blame would have been on Hamuko. In actuality, it was because I was unable to take charge under the pretense I wasn't the leader. Those thoughts only added on top of my fears and made the situation worse, resulting in me becoming a burden to the team. Last month, when you addressed the entire student body, you had said that you wished for us to re-evaluate our convictions. I admit I've never had much conviction in the past, but I realized something last night." He clenched his fists. "I don't want to idly remain in the back as everyone else gets ahead of me. If you believe I am the right person to lead the team, I will do it. Leadership falls to those that have the gift after all."

"As you wish, I'll notify the Chairman as well as the rest of the team later." The senior nodded at the boy. "That's a rather tough self-evaluation you've put yourself through, Yuki. I had been getting worried you were overexerting yourself, in and outside of battle. It seems my concerns weren't completely unfounded."

"Hamuko says I tend to over think things, but the only time I don't is when I'm busy," Minato sighed. "I'll be sure to make a few adjustments to my schedule to give myself more time to recover from now on."

"I'll let you lead SEES, but only on one condition," Mitsuru sternly looked at the younger boy. "You will no longer needlessly throw yourself into danger in battle. I've been analyzing our past battles and so far, you've been the one incurring the most injuries. While I admire your tenacity to protect the others, your actions may one day get yourself killed."

"I understand," Minato nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. As you know, the battles will only get more difficult from here on out," Mitsuru reminded him.

"Of course. Thank you for your time, Senpai." Minato turned to leave.

"One more thing before you go, Yuki," the redhead crossed her arms and frowned at herself. "You blame yourself for last night's incidents, but I also bear some of the responsibility. I wasn't strong enough, which resulted in a difficult situation. I apologize for that."

"No need to apologize, Senpai," Minato turned around, mildly surprised.

"That's very kind of you. But, even if you forgive me, I don't think I can forgive myself. You must understand that."

"There's always next time," the boy reassured her.

"I'm glad you said that," the girl smiled at him. "I promise to be stronger next time." She fiddled with the radio next to her. "You're aware of the saying that 'a team is only as strong as its weakest link', are you not?" The boy nodded. "Well, I have a different take on the saying and it is that 'a team is only as strong as its leader'. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Of course," Minato nodded. "How a team functions is a direct reflection of its leader, therefore any weakness in the team is the leader's responsibility to improve upon."

Satisfied by his response, Mitsuru gave him an approving nod. "So long as you understand our roles, you should be fine." She turned back to the console and scanned the city. "I suppose I've kept you here long enough. Keep up the good work."

"I'll try," the boy responded as he finally left the command room. He smiled to himself as he felt as though he's had this lecture before, a long time ago. _Kirijo-senpai is just as strict as Mom._ He fondly recalled the memory of his mother scolding him. "I'm the oldest so I have to be a good example," he said absently as he stood at the top of the stairs.

"But you don't have to be perfect," Hamuko appeared beside him. "That's something Mom used to say to you, right?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. He frowned at his younger sister. "What were you doing just now?"

"Bathroom," she pointed behind her and Minato saw that she was carrying a bath towel. "You should consider a shower too," she teased.

"I showered this morning," Minato frowned. "By the way, thanks for dumping me on my bed last night," he sarcastically said as he rotated his sore shoulders.

Hamuko looked at him worriedly. "But you're better, right? No more Reapers?"

Minato paused as he looked around. "Let's go to your room for this, Hamuko."

The girl nodded and let him in. Minato took a seat at her desk as the girl hung up her towel to dry. "What happened to you last night?"

A pained expression washed over the boy's usually calm face. "When the train started moving, Reapers appeared. There were too many for me to count since there were a lot of passengers aboard. As we went through the cars, three Reapers persistently followed us and the fear took hold. We were going to die and I thought I wouldn't be able to stop that from happening."

"But you did," Hamuko did her best to cheer her brother up. "We're alive because of you, nii-san."

"But it wasn't because I knew what I was doing," Minato angrily stated. "I made sure to prepare myself, too! I predicted the worst situation and planned accordingly, but when the time came, I failed! We're only alive because I got lucky!"

"You told Yukari that it was instinctive."

"There's no difference," Minato scornfully sneered. "Luck, instinct… Call it whatever you want. I'm not like Mom and Dad, pulling miracles during their cases."

"No, you're you," Hamuko gently placed a hand on her brother's back. "And you have your own set of instincts. You might see it as luck, but I know you better than anyone. You see things others can't. Death included," she slightly shivered but continued to make her point. "It's a part of who you are. Your tendency to over think can be annoying, but it's because of that you know things others can never just guess at with just luck alone."

"Your instincts have always been sharper than mine," Minato pointed out. "I'm surprised you didn't take control of the situation."

"You were closer to the controls and I trusted you. Maybe that was what my instinct told me to do." Minato said nothing at that. Hamuko soothingly rubbed his back and he relaxed his head in his arms. "Hey, nii-san? Can I ask something?"

"Hm?"

"You said only three Reapers followed us. Can you not see the Reaper on yourself?"

"I guess not," the boy shrugged. "Why?" He lifted his head and saw the pensive worry on the girl's face.

"Sometimes I get nervous when we're in Tartarus and you get hurt." The girl's face dampened as she grabbed her brother's shirt as if trying to confirm he was right there in front of her. "I always think that you'll end up dying, but you've never once mentioned seeing the Reaper during those times."

"I've made you worry too, huh?" Minato gently smiled as he removed her hand and held it between his. "It's okay, Hamuko. I won't be freely throwing my body into danger anymore. I made a deal with Kirijo-senpai."

"Really?" Hamuko brightened up.

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "I asked her to make me leader and she agreed so long as I stop trying to go out of my way to get hurt."

"So you'll actually do it?"

"I just said I would," Minato frowned. "Maybe this'll get Junpei to stop giving you trouble, huh?"

Hamuko cheered as she hugged her brother. "Now I don't have to carry all the equipment with me!"

"You made me do that anyway," the boy sighed. The girl laughed as she shook him around. She finally stopped when his phone rang. Minato reached for it in his pocket and looked at the number. "It's Elizabeth." He put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello? This is Elizabeth," the elevator attendant's voice sounded pretty urgent. "I'm calling to inform you of a change in Tartarus… I believe a path that was blocked is now open… I thought you might like to know. I wish you a safe journey."

The call ended and Minato blinked at his phone. "It looks like we've got some new ground in Tartarus to cover. We'll give everyone a day to rest, but tomorrow, we'll be checking it out."

"Got it!" Hamuko smirked at her brother. "Leader."

"Please don't make this difficult for me," Minato sighed.

* * *

~23 MAY 2009~

Minato glanced up at the clock and saw that he had about half an hour left to finish his essay. He spun his pencil in his hand as he continued to write. So long as he completed this assignment, he would be able to finally get a good night's sleep.

"Time!" Toriumi called from the front of the classroom. "Pass your essays up. Anyone who doesn't will be headed to Faculty Office to meet with the Principal."

Minato confidently smirked as he passed his paper up. He turned back to Hamuko and saw her flash him a big smile. Beside him, Junpei groaned. "D-dude… That prompt… I had nothing to write about."

"All you had to do was say yes or no and argue why you think so. What's so hard about a question asking about monorails and their usefulness to society?"

"We were almost killed on one, man," Junpei glared at him.

"Yeah, but we made it," Minato shrugged. "Did you know that the Shinkansen—?"

"Dude, I don't care! You've told me that before. Twice!" Junpei pulled his cap down as he buried his face into his arms.

"You could have used that for your essay," the blue-haired boy sighed. "How about we get some ramen? It'll be on me."

"Ooh, sounds good," Hamuko said as she hugged her brother from behind. "Can your budget fit four orders of Hagakure's Special?"

"Four?" the boy didn't expect the red-eyed girl to be that hungry.

Yukari walked up to his desk. "Yeah, I'll be coming along too!"

Junpei cheered up at the thought of free food. "What a thoughtful leader, looking out for his team!"

Hamuko pulled on the blue-haired boy's cheeks. "You're the best, nii-san!"

"Yeah, yeah," the boy rolled his eyes.

The afternoon turned out to be rather fun and as the four came back to the dorm, they noticed a white-haired senior sitting at the table with a celebratory takeout dinner of his own. Akihiko looked up and smirked at the juniors. "Ah, you're back."

Yukari brightened as she saw Akihiko's arm was no longer in a sling. "Senpai, I hear you're fully healed!"

Junpei smiled widely at the boxer. "Congrats, man!"

Akihiko's eyes glowed eagerly. "I need to catch up on my training. I've slacked off for a whole month."

"Shouldn't you take it easy, though?" Yukari frowned. "You don't wanna reinjure your arm."

"I've already wasted precious time," Akihiko shook his head. "Besides, we found another Persona-user."

Minato straightened at that. _Another?_

"We did!?" Junpei began shaking in excitement. "Sweet! Is it a girl…?"

The boxer nodded. "Actually, it is. She's a junior who goes to our school. Fuuka Yamagishi… Do you guys know her?"

"Fuuka… Yamagishi?" Minato whispered the name under his breath. For some reason, he liked the way it rolled off his tongue. _Pretty name_ , he thought. _A flower drifting on the breeze of a mountainous shore. I wonder if her name suits her._ He inwardly frowned at himself. _Well, she must be better than me considering I'm supposed to be the 'harbor of courage'._

"Yamagishi…?" Yukari tried to remember who the girl was. "Oh, that girl in 2-E… She gets sick a lot, from what I heard… I don't see her at school very often."

Minato crossed his arms. _Ekoda's class, huh? This sounds rather problematic._ He internally hoped they weren't referring to one of those girls he had to constantly deal with during Student Council.

"She was at the same hospital as me," Akihiko continued to explain. "That's how we found out about her. But, maybe she's not cut out for battle. I had an Evoker made for her, too…"

"What!?" Junpei couldn't believe his ears. "We're giving up on her already!? I was gonna offer her some private lessons…" He smirked towards Minato to see if the blue-haired boy would agree.

Minato and Yukari stared at him in silence while Hamuko shook her head. "You're like an old perv."

Yukari laughed at that. "Oh man, I'm always thinking the same thing!"

"Yow!" Junpei backed up. "Retract those claws, ladies! I'm totally a hip, happenin' teen! You dig!?" He nudged Minato to back him up.

The other boy only groaned. "Whatever."

Yukari shook her head at the capped boy. "Loser."

Junpei turned back to her. "Wh-why're you lookin' at me like that? C'mon… I'm a guy. Whaddya expect!?"

"Minato's a guy too, but you don't see him being a total pervert."

Hamuko mischievously smiled. "That's because nii-san is into—"

"Don't even joke about that," Minato glared at her. "I don't need another rumor about me to start." He looked to Yukari and Junpei. "And you two," the two juniors snapped to attention when they noticed the boy's stern tone. "That's enough on this topic. If Yamagishi can't join, we'll leave it at that. We have our own business to attend to and I don't want you guys losing focus." The blue-haired boy smirked to the two after a while. "That said, I say we head to Tartarus tonight. Sanada-senpai seems eager to get back out there and we all look like we could use a de-stressing from Midterms."

"Awesome, dude!" Junpei started for the stairs. "I'd better get ready then!"

Yukari shook her head but turned towards Hamuko. "Hey, let's go over some of the Midterm questions. I want to know if I did okay."

When they left, Minato finally let out a sigh of relief. He looked over to Akihiko. "Senpai, can I look over Yamagishi's file later?"

"Sure. I'll let Mitsuru know you want access to it," the senior nodded. "So, you think we should recruit her?"

"I can't say for sure until I go over everything myself, but I'd like it if we had more support. With you going back to the front lines, another member would bolster our numbers quite a bit. There's only so much Hamuko and I can cover with our Personas after all."

"And if she really can't fight? What then?" Akihiko frowned.

"Then it can't be helped," Minato shrugged. "Still," he crossed his arms and seriously frowned, "I'd rather we recruit someone not cut out for battle than to have them fend against the Dark Hour alone..." The junior's fists tightened as he recalled his own past in trying to survive the Dark Hour with just Hamuko.

"Yeah," the senior agreed, unaware of the younger boy's pain. "There is safety in numbers."

* * *

~25 MAY 2009~

Hamuko took a deep breath. "Okay, today's the day!"

Minato let out a sigh as he nodded to Yukari who was waiting for them at the school gate. "Morning."

"Mornin'," she greeted him back. "You're as punctual as always, Minato."

"It's because I'm always there to drag him to school," Hamuko stuck her tongue out at her brother.

Yukari lightly laughed at that. "That's true. Have you seen Junpei today? He looks like the world is about to end."

"Really?" Hamuko became worried.

"Yeah, really." Yukari frowned.

"What happened?" Minato tilted his head to the side.

"Well, exam scores will be posted today, so…"

"Right, we were just talking about that!" Hamuko was practically bouncing beside them as they changed their shoes. "I hope I did well."

"Show some consideration for those poor saps that didn't, will you?" Minato grabbed her by her school bag.

"We're still referring to Junpei, right?" Yukari asked. "He said he's gonna beg for a higher score… Like that's gonna work. Oh, by the way… You remember how Akihiko-senpai was talking about that girl Fuuka…?" The twins nodded. "I hear she's kinda weak… but that's just a rumor. I wonder what she's really like. Either way, having another Persona-user can't be a bad thing!"

"Interesting rumor," Minato mused as he carefully went up the stairs.

"Not really. At least, not compared to the ones you get," Hamuko snickered. She paused as she seriously considered the rumor regarding Fuuka Yamagishi. "But I see what you're getting at. It's a rather plain rumor. Too plain."

"Which is why it's so interesting," her brother nodded. "There's something going on that we're not seeing."

Yukari shook her head at the boy's odd sense of logic. "Well, you tend to be right about these sorts of things. Are you gonna solve this little mystery?"

Minato made a face. "I kinda have to as leader, don't I?"

"Any plans of attack?" Hamuko asked curiously.

"I'll come up with something by tomorrow," the blue-eyed boy replied as he saw a familiar face enter the classroom next to theirs. _Or maybe by the end of morning classes…_

* * *

Class was dismissed for lunch and Minato purposefully meandered about as his entire class rushed towards the Faculty Office to check out the exam results. Hamuko tugged at his arm eagerly. "Hurry up! There's going to be a crowd!"

"I have something I want to check out first," he said as she pulled him out of their classroom. He shifted his head towards the sign reading 2-E. "Go on without me."

Hamuko's eyes went wide. "So you came up with something after all! Okay, I've got it."

Luckily, Ekoda's class was a bit slow in being dismissed. This gave Minato the chance to properly set himself up in a good position to preempt who he wanted to speak with. He leaned back against the wall and lazily watched as the students from 2-E filed out. He finally stood up when he saw the familiar shy girl with teal-green hair entering the hall. She was roughly pushed aside by a few girls behind her though and as they began to swarm her, Minato frowned that he was quickly losing his chance to speak with her.

"Let's go check out the results!" One brunette seemed to be teasing the quiet girl as she forcefully tugged the girl's arm. "I bet you did _great_." Minato swore he detected sarcasm of the venomous variety.

The girl tensed up as she replied, flustered. "O-oh… Okay?"

"Hey," Minato spoke up to get their attention and some of the girls turned to him. A few of the girls recognized him immediately and shirked away from him, using the teal-haired girl as a bit of a shield. Minato noticed how they all exchanged worried glances with one another, but he said nothing else as he started walking towards them.

While the others cautiously backed away with each step he took, the shy girl's face slightly lit up at the sight of him. "Yuki-san!"

"Y-you're from the Student Council! Hidetoshi-kun's hellhound." One of the girls said as her knees began to shake. "Did you want something from us?"

"I just need to speak with her," Minato nodded towards the brown-eyed girl. The group seemed to be even more nervous as they looked to each other. Finally they reached a consensus before leaving the intimidating blue-eyed boy with their shy classmate. Minato let out a sigh as this was actually more troubling than he had thought it would be. "Sorry for taking you away from your friends, but I needed to speak with you about something private."

"It wasn't a problem," the girl reassured him with a relieved smile on her face. "And uh… They're not…" She looked at the group before shaking her head. "N-never mind." She looked to the ground as the boy calmly watched her. "Um… What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Here, let's walk towards the Faculty Office while we talk. This might take a while and I'm sure you're curious about the exam results," Minato tried to distract her as he wondered how he was going to go about this. After a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath. "There are some rumors going around and I wanted to clear something up," the boy began before lightly coughing into his hand. "It's for the Student Council, of course." Minato mentally frowned as he awkwardly looked away. "Is there a Fuuka Yamagishi in your class by any chance?"

The girl tensed up. "Y-yes. Why? What is this about?"

"It's rather confidential and I can't really say, but it's important that I speak with her. I heard she doesn't come to school often due to illness so I was wondering… Do you know how I could get in contact with her?" Minato looked back to the girl before noticing she had gone pale. "H-hey," he nervously began. "Are you feeling well? You're not sick, are you? I can take you to the infirmary if you like."

"N-no, I'll be fine!" The girl tried her best to regain her composure but Minato frowned when she began shaking. "About the person you're looking for…" She seemed hesitant to be speaking with him.

"It's alright. Just take a deep breath," Minato tried his best to make her feel at ease. "You won't get into trouble for telling me about your friend. Neither of you did anything wrong. I just really need to speak to her about something important."

"I-I'm sorry," the girl looked down. "I don't know anything."

A bit disappointed, Minato frowned to himself but he quickly masked it with a smile for the girl. "H-hey. It's no big deal. If you learn anything about her, just let me know. It doesn't even have to be an official meeting if you want to keep this confidential. You can find me in Class 2-F. If I'm not available, you can also look for Hamuko Arisato, okay? You can trust her to get a message to me." The boy wryly chuckled to himself as they approached the crowd of students causing traffic in the hall. "Sorry for taking up your time."

"N-not at all! I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." The girl tried to give him a smile, but Minato paused when he saw faint traces of a Reaper beginning to attach itself to her.

The blue-haired boy was about to say something else but a familiar voice caught his attention. "Hey! He's finally here!" Minato looked up to see Junpei smirking and pointing at him. The girl used this chance to quickly slip away as Minato frowned, wondering what the capped boy was up to.

Hamuko wrestled her way out of the crowd and her eyes gleamed in a way that sent a chill down the blue-haired boy's spine. "Oh no…"

"Minato!" The girl charged towards him and tightly hugged her brother. "We got the highest exam results! I'm so proud! It's a miracle!"

"Hamuko," he hissed. "I'm still working here!" He turned back towards the teal-haired girl but frowned when she was no longer standing beside him. "Where'd she go?" He tried to call out for the girl but groaned when he realized he once again messed up. "I still didn't even get her name!" His expression darkened. "Damn, this isn't good."

Noticing how serious her brother was, she let him go. "Did something happen? Did you learn anything?"

"No, but I saw…" He shook his head. "This isn't something we should be discussing at school. I'm going back to look for Kirijo-senpai. I made a blunder in my investigation on Yamagishi." The boy quickly retreated, every now and then turning his head, as if searching for someone.

"Minato!" Hamuko called out for him, but frowned. "What did you do?" She decided to go into the girls' restroom to wash her face and clear her head. If she wanted to help her brother, she'd need to focus and this was the best way for her to do just that. She took a paper towel and carefully dried her face and hands when something in the mirror caught her eye. She gently smiled as she turned around. "You don't have to hide in the bathroom stall. I won't bite."

"S-sorry. I thought you were someone else," a girl with teal hair stepped out.

"Trying to avoid someone?" Hamuko curiously tilted her head at the girl. "Hey… Have we met before?" She tried to recall when she encountered such a cute girl before she jumped in realization. "You were the one to help Minato into the infirmary. I still haven't properly thanked you for that. If something had happened to him… Er, never mind." Hamuko decided now wasn't the time for that and shook her head. "I'm Hamuko Arisato, by the way, from Class 2-F. You don't have to introduce yourself since you're hiding in here, but if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me." The red-eyed girl smiled brightly. "Or you can leave a message with Minato. He's in the same class too."

The girl nodded. "O-oh, thanks."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find Minato. Don't worry though. I won't tell anyone you're in here!" The energetic junior winked at her before leaving.

Upstairs, Minato bowed his head at his mistake. "I had intended to befriend Yamagishi, but my only way of naturally introducing myself to Class 2-E failed."

"You don't have to be so disappointed, Yuki. You've seen her file and it's clear that she wouldn't be able to fight with us. In fact, given your own files, I still wonder why I let you remain on the front lines."

"We're not here to discuss my health history," Minato shook his head.

"No, but I don't see why you're actively trying to recruit someone who we're not certain if she can fight for us."

"Even if she can't fight, that doesn't mean she can't support us. She should be able to do _something_. And we can't leave her alone during the Dark Hour! It's not safe!" The boy clenched his fists as he angrily argued back.

"I know what the Dark Hour is capable of." Mitsuru's red eyes flashed in irritation. "Why are you so adamant about this? Do you know something I don't?"

Minato looked down to the ground. "People who don't belong in the Dark Hour die. That's something I've seen for years."

"Years?" This new information made the senior re-evaluate the boy trembling before her.

The boy didn't elaborate as he refocused the direction of their conversation. "Death will come to Yamagishi and those around her if she doesn't awaken to a Persona. It's happened before." He thought of the Reaper he saw forming just earlier. Minato swallowed the lump of guilt building in his throat as he felt he may have inadvertently introduced the harbinger of death to his nameless friend. "If we don't do something, it will happen again."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mitsuru sighed.

"That's all I ask," the boy forced himself to relax. "Forgive me if I spoke out of turn, but I'm only doing what I think is necessary."

"Yes, I understand." The boy left the Student Council room and Mitsuru let out a heavy sigh. _Just what exactly did he go through because of my family? To live through the Dark Hour for years… Is this why he's so comfortable during that time?_ The senior shook her head as it was time for her to return to her classroom. This would have to wait for another time.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Toriumi frowned as her eyes were getting tired from grading papers. Essays took a while, but with the results being posted the next day, there was no time for a break. Or was there?

She glanced at her computer screen and noticed Tatsuya was on. Smiling, she began chatting with her mysterious online friend. _"LOL. Kinda busy today. Have 2 grad papers. Work sukz…"_

 _"That does suck. I just finished Midterms myself,"_ the other Avatar answered back.

Toriumi smiled at the Tatsuya's proper diction. Although she was a Composition teacher, she didn't have to be proper all the time. Plus, this game was the only method she had to relieve stress.

 _"Ya, my kidz had em 2. So much 2 do."_

 _"Want some help?"_

 _"Im gud. G2g finish these. C u l8r. Ill rant 2 u sum other tim."_

 _"Alright. Good luck with work. I have to go too. Need to make dinner for my sister. I'd share it with you if I could."_

Toriumi logged off and smiled at how thoughtful Tastuya was. Always thinking of others and cooking for his younger sister… He even worked late into the night to help save people, despite being a student. He didn't elaborate on what his job was, but Toriumi assumed it was at some hospital. She could only wonder what type of perfect, kind-hearted person he was in real life.

Meanwhile in a dormitory located in Iwatodai, Minato quickly shut his laptop off as Hamuko tried to peer over his shoulder to look at his chat log. "Come on! I want to look! I want to see what your online girlfriend is like!"

"And I told you no! I said I'd make you dinner, but only if you stopped pestering me!"

"But, nii-san…!"

"Keep this up and you can forget about dessert!"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I really do like Fuuka's name. The characters for it are simple and pretty. Yukari's name is written in hiragana so it's not like I can easily look up what it means. Mitsuru means 'beautiful crane', I think. 'Mi' is beauty while 'tsuru' should be crane... I haven't looked up those characters and I'm only basing it off my Japanese vocabulary. Even then, I tend to look for character meanings in both Japanese and Chinese because I'm Chinese myself. I do the same with my name sometimes, but the second character for my name is pretty complicated to write... It means flower too but it's specific connotation isn't quite as clean as the flower used in Fuuka's name. The flower in her name is the purest form of the word 'flower' whereas in my name, I think in Japanese it can mean 'rose' while in Chinese it can also be 'fern'... Altogether, my Chinese name is pretty much 'snow flower/fern/rose'... Still, I feel Fuuka's name is much cleaner, but oh well.


	12. Unavoidable Reaper

**Author's Notes:** So, a late upload today. Kinda busy today... And by busy I mean I watched all four parts of the Persona 3 movie. Wow... It was like watching a puppet come to life and then come to terms with death... It was good, but I do have some complaints about plot execution... Namely with Junpei's romance bit... It was nice, but the setup was very poor... But anyways, time for my portrayal of Minato to face the Reapers... I don't mean to put Hamuko in the background, but... she'll get her chance eventually... Maybe... It depends... Like I said, I connect with Minato more...

* * *

~28 MAY 2009~

For the rest of that week, Minato would often be found waiting outside Ekoda's class, hoping to get a chance to speak with his anonymous friend. Before classes, during Lunch, and after school, he would lean against the wall, staring at both entrances of Classroom 2-E, but he'd never be able to meet the girl he wanted to see.

Finally Thursday rolled around and to the surprise of the girls in Ekoda's class, Minato was nowhere to be found outside their classroom. A brunette smirked at the shy teal-haired girl sitting in the back of the classroom. "Looks like the Hellhound isn't here today, Fuuka. I wonder what you did that made him want to speak with you."

Fuuka sank in her seat. "I-I didn't do a-anything," she weakly tried to say.

"Oh, but if you didn't, the Student Council's Hellhound wouldn't be so persistent, would he?" Another girl joined in on teasing her.

Soon, the rest of their friends gathered around her. "You had to have done _something_ wrong! It's not like he could be interested in someone like Fuuka."

"Come on, Maki. You know he's already dating Arisato-san from next door. But you're right that no one would ever go out with Fuuka."

Unable to take it anymore, the teal-haired girl ran out of the classroom. She locked herself in the bathroom stall as she tried to regain her composure. She wiped her face as the tears streamed down her cheeks. The girl would have broken down completely, but she jumped when she heard someone coming into the girl's bathroom.

"Just get it taken care of, Minato! You'll get in trouble if you keep Mitsuru-senpai waiting." Fuuka recognized the voice to belong to the female transfer student next door.

"Just don't screw up my investigation of Yamagishi," Minato huffed. "I'd normally have you take care of this for the Student Council, but it looks like Senpai has a technical problem."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Just go already!" Hamuko sent the boy away before properly entering the bathroom.

Fuuka watched from the stall as the brown-haired girl splashed water onto her face. And just like before, Hamuko noticed her hiding.

"Really. You seriously don't have to hide from me," the girl smiled at her after she dried her face. Hamuko frowned at Fuuka as the stall door slowly happened. "Hey, are you okay? Is something wrong?"

Fuuka looked down at the floor. "N-no, it's n-nothing."

Hamuko took her hand and led her to the sink. "You should wash up," she sympathetically suggested. "Hey, don't keep it all pent up. It's okay to tell someone if you have trouble. It doesn't have to be me, but just so you know, I get really worried when someone keeps their problems to themselves. I should know since Minato does it all the time and it just makes me worry about him even more."

"You really are close to Yuki-san," Fuuka absently muttered as she washed her face.

"Yeah, of course!" Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "The two of us are all each other have. You must have someone you can rely on too, right? Someone to listen to your problems and help you with them?"

For some reason, Fuuka thought of the times Minato and her spoke. He had always been patient with her and was genuinely considerate of her feelings and thoughts. She frowned when she realized she was also speaking to the boy's apparent girlfriend. "No, I don't," Fuuka shook her head.

"That's not good," Hamuko's smile turned into a slight frown. "My offer still stands, you know? I'm willing to lend an ear."

"Don't you have to look into a rumor for Yuki-san though?"

"Huh?" _How does she…?_ Hamuko was slightly confused before she put two and two together. _Oh, so this was Minato's 'informant'. No wonder he's getting nowhere with this. He must have intimidated her with his Hellhound tactics._ Hamuko gave the brown-eyed girl a reassuring smile. "Well, if me being a part of Student Council makes you uncomfortable, this can be an off-the-books sort of talk. I won't tell even Minato."

Fuuka relaxed a little but still, something about speaking with the girl didn't seem right. The two transfer students had an odd way of making her feel at ease, but there was something different about being with Minato that made Fuuka feel safe whenever she spoke to him. "I appreciate it, but Yuki-san also offered me the same thing."

"He did?" Hamuko was surprised with how uncharacteristic it was of her brother. "Well, then you do have someone you can talk to," she smiled at the shy girl.

Hamuko's response was rather odd, but Fuuka attributed it to the two's strong bond of trust. She nervously spoke to the red-eyed girl though. "I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but maybe I can speak with Yuki-kun?"

 _Yuki-kun?_ The energetic junior responded with an understanding smile. "Sure," she nodded. "Just give me a message to pass onto him and I'll make sure he gets it before Lunch is over."

"Can you ask him to meet me on the roof after classes end?"

"Sure. Is that all?"

Fuuka nodded. "Th-thank you, Arisato-san."

"Hey, it's nothing," Hamuko slightly blushed. "I'm just doing whatever I can to help."

Feeling as though a weight was taken off her shoulders, Fuuka started back towards her classroom. "Still, I have to thank you. Can you please give Yuki-san my thanks, too?"

Hamuko stared at the girl as she formally referred to her brother. _Did she not notice when she called him 'Yuki-kun'?_ The red-eyed girl continued to gently smile though. "I don't know if he'd accept it, especially from me, but I'll try." Hamuko watched her leave before frowning to herself. _Nii-san… Just what are you doing roping this girl into such a dangerous investigation?_ She returned to her classroom and took her seat, waiting for her brother to return. "Oh!" Hamuko realized after a few minutes of eating her lunch alone. "I didn't get her name…"

"Whose name?" Finally finished with his work, Minato sat across from her and stole one of her onigiri balls.

"That cute girl with brown eyes from before," Hamuko replied, pushing her bento box towards her brother. "She wanted to speak to you after school on the roof."

Minato stopped chewing as a serious expression settled over his face. "Oh?" He suddenly lost his appetite, but he managed to force himself to finish his last bite.

Sensing her brother was doing his best to not gag in front of her, Hamuko became worried about his sudden change in disposition. "Is something wrong?"

"Did she tell you what she wanted to speak with me about?"

"No," Hamuko shook her head. "Why?" Minato didn't answer her as he stood up. "Wait? What's wrong?"

The older twin was returning to his seat, but he paused as he lowered his head. "It's one of those Reapers… The ones that appear whenever people became involved with us." Hamuko's eyes went wide in shock. "I'll try to get rid of it, but it might already be too late. That's why I wanted to speak with her and Yamagishi as soon as possible."

"It's not your fault, nii-san," Hamuko tried to console him.

 _No_ , _it is,_ Minato thought as he decided to get a head start on his daily nap.

* * *

"Well, see you at practice, man," Kaz waved goodbye as he jogged to the track field. "I'll tell the captain to start without you."

Minato nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Kaz. Don't push yourself too much." He watched the runner carefully maneuver his way down the stairs before he himself went up to the roof. He took a look around as he saw that nobody else was there so took a seat at the bench.

It didn't take long before he heard footsteps from the stairs. His informant opened the door slowly and immediately, her expression brightened when she saw Minato turn to look at her. "Yuki-san!"

The boy nodded in greeting as he scanned the space behind her. _No Reaper…_ He stood up and offered her to take his place. "Here." The blue-eyed boy was more comfortable leaning against the fence barriers and listening. "Hamuko said you wanted to speak with me?"

Fuuka gratefully sat down and nervously looked up at the boy. "Yes, it's about what you asked me before. Is it okay for me to ask what rumor it is you're looking into?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in a position where I can freely disclose that information to anyone not involved with it."

"But what if I'm involved with what you're investigating?"

Minato's eyes flickered to the hazy shadow that was beginning to form behind her. "I won't let you get involved," the boy said without thinking.

Thinking the boy was misunderstanding her, Fuuka shook her head. "No, I mean that I'm—"

The smoke was expanding and growing darker now. Beginning to panic, Minato cut her off. "I understand your concern for your friend, but for now, please refrain from being around her until I clear this situation up. So long as you are close to her, you may get into trouble."

"Wh-what?" The girl's face filled with confusion. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?" She paused when the boy clutched his head. "Yuki-san?" She carefully approached him as he appeared sick.

Minato began coughing as the haze was reaching towards him. Even though the smoke wasn't necessarily physical, the thought of the Reaper attaching itself onto this girl was more than enough to suffocate him. "S-stop," he murmured to the shadow as his vision suddenly vanished into darkness. "D-don't get any closer."

Thinking he was addressing her, Fuuka shook her head and placed a hand on his pale forehead. The boy flinched from her warm touch. "Yuki-san, you're really cold! I should take you to the infirmary!"

Minato blinked a few times as the girl's hand on his forehead calmed him. Slowly, a bit of his vision returned and he found himself staring into the girl's worried brown eyes. He studied her face for a while before he saw the fragments of Death beginning to cling to her. Soon, he could hear the familiar ragged breathing of the Reaper. He didn't even need to see it to know it was right behind the girl, pulling her closer to its chest. "N-no," he shakily said. _I seriously can't get her anymore involved. At the rate her Reaper keeps growing, she'll be dead by the end of the month if I pull her further into this._

"You're shaking. Are you cold, Yuki-san? Yuki-san!?"

"I-I'm sorry," Minato said as he backed away from the girl. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but until I meet with Yamagishi-san and clear up this problem, please… Stay away from me… I d-don't think I can guarantee your safety anymore…" He suddenly started for the door. "I-I'm sorry!" The boy didn't look back to make sure the Reaper was gone. He could only hope the girl would heed his advice and leave it alone. Somehow, deep inside of him, he knew that his wishes wouldn't come true.

"Yuki-san," Fuuka sadly watched as he escaped whatever panic he was experiencing. His words had been confusing and it gave her the impression that this investigation he was pursuing wasn't simply just about a rumor. Why would she be in danger? It definitely couldn't have been something she had done. And to top it all off, he had asked her to no longer get involved with him. The genuine fear that filled his normally steady blue eyes gave her a sadness she never experienced before. "Is this what Arisato-san meant before? Yuki-san… I wish I was able to help you…"

She sensed a cold chill behind her but shook it off. It was time for her to go home. Any later and her parents would be upset. She sadly picked up her bag and departed the rather lonely roof.

* * *

~29 MAY 2009~

Yukari noticed her blue-haired friend was acting strangely during Lunch. He would normally begin the period by walking a lap around the halls, greeting his friends and checking to see who would be free after school. Afterwards, Hamuko would find him and force him to have something to eat. On rare occasions, he'd make lunch but he'd be sure to share it with his sister before completing his daily lap. Today though, he remained rooted in his seat, with his head down on top of his folded arms.

The brunette looked around the classroom but noticed Hamuko was gone, probably eating lunch with her friends from the Volleyball Team. Junpei wasn't around either, but Yukari didn't think his presence would help their depressed leader. Deciding he could use some company, she picked up her lunch and sat in Junpei's seat. "Hey," she greeted him, hoping he'd respond.

"Ngh," Minato replied in greeting.

"You know, looking at you is kinda making me depressed," Yukari tried to cheer him up.

"Then sit somewhere else," Minato said. When he sensed she was still there, he turned his head to the side to look at her. "What do you want?"

"I just saw you sitting here alone, so I thought I'd check to see how you were doing." Yukari gave him a concerned frown. "You don't seem okay to me, so don't even try."

"You're right about that," the boy sighed.

Yukari stared at her food before picking up her extra melon bread and tossing it at the boy's head. "Here, eat that. Since Hamuko's not here, I might as well force you to have something."

"Not hungry," he muttered.

"Well, either you eat it or I get your sister," she threatened.

This made the boy slowly sit up and pick up the packaged bread. "Thanks…"

Yukari returned to her lunch but made sure to watch the boy as he took a few bites of the bread. "Hey, is something bothering you?"

He stopped chewing before pensively staring at his bite marks. He swallowed before asking, "Do you think I'm doing a good job as leader?"

"Huh? Well, yeah," Yukari answered, confused as to where this question came from. "Ever since you officially took charge, all of us haven't been encountering problems with the Shadows. You haven't been getting hurt as much either so I'm glad."

"Me not getting hurt means you guys getting hurt though," Minato said as a slight frown began to form on his face.

"Hey, we can't completely get out of Tartarus unscathed," Yukari pointed out. "You always taking a hit for us scares me. It's like you don't care if you get killed in battle. Aren't you afraid of death?"

"Maybe not my own death," Minato replied. "I'm more afraid of everyone else dying around me."

"That doesn't mean you need to be a human shield for us!" Yukari angrily scolded him.

"Then what does it mean?" Instead of his usual annoyed tone, the boy turned to Yukari and looked to her with the most vulnerable expression she had ever seen on the boy. The fear was clear in his eyes as he began shaking. "I'm the leader… Everyone's life and wellbeing is my responsibility. If I can't throw myself into danger to save a person, how can I say I'm doing a good job?"

"You _saved_ us," Yukari argued. "You saved _me_. Twice! You're doing enough!" Minato paused and turned back to stare at his bread. Yukari continued. "Why can't you see you don't have to do everything on your own? Do you know how much Hamuko worries about you? How much we all do? Can you really not see that?"

"I never asked for you guys to worry about me," Minato said through clenched teeth.

"No, but you never asked to always save us whenever we were in trouble," Yukari countered.

Minato shook his head. "But that—"

"Never needed permission?" Yukari smirked at her friend. "Neither does us caring, Minato. You might be our leader, but we're still your team. And a team supports their leader, whether he wants us to or not."

The boy was silent as he thought things over. "Okay, how about this? Am I being too harsh as the Student Council's Hellhound?"

"Oh, so you already know about your nickname," Yukari was surprised the boy was bringing that up. "You're not embarrassed?"

Minato shrugged. "I think it sounds cool. It's a lot better than the nicknames I got in my previous schools." He shook his head as he was getting distracted. "So am I?"

"You're more or less the same to me," Yukari shrugged. "But that nickname doesn't even make sense. Aren't hellhounds supposed to bring death wherever they go?"

The boy brightened at a chance to share his mythology knowledge. "Actually, in most cultures they're the guards of the underworld. They aren't death bringers but rather an omen of death. Depending on the culture, staring one in the eyes or hearing its howl is a sure sign of death to come, but for the most part, a hellhound protects the secrecy of the supernatural from the natural."

Yukari rolled her eyes at his fascination with random facts. "How does that apply to you?"

The boy shrugged again. "I think people were trying to go with bloodhound since I was able to quickly solve various cases Hidetoshi gave me regarding the Disciplinary Committee. But I'm glad Hellhound picked up. It does kind of fit in a sense, if you also consider our activities during the Dark Hour," he paused to frown at himself, "But lately I feel I haven't exactly been doing well at living up to that name... My most recent investigation is what I had been hung up over before you decided to bother me."

"Hey, sorry for being worried!" Yukari scolded him, but smiled as she knew he wasn't actually serious. "Does it have to do with Fuuka?"

Minato nodded before sighing. "I'll probably have to give up on that investigation though. I think I ended up ruining all chances I had to befriend someone else while working on it. I might have also given her needless trouble with how I acted." He groaned and slammed his face into his desk. "Why is socializing so hard?"

Yukari smirked at the boy. "So you met a cute girl, huh? Don't tell Junpei about it."

"It's not like that!" Minato said, his face burning up. "I finally meet someone with the most fantastic customized camera and then I botch it up…"

"So… you're interested in her camera?" Yukari's face scrunched up in confusion. "You really aren't into people, are you?"

"Whatever," Minato narrowed his eyes at the girl. "I'm just not interested in dating considering I have a difficult time even making friends. And all the friends I _do_ have tend to conspire against me somehow."

Yukari laughed at him. "That's because you set yourself up to be an easy target. And you let it happen."

Minato gave her a deadpan glare before picking up the wrapper on his desk. "Thanks for lunch, by the way. I really needed that."

"No problem," Yukari shrugged. "It's the least I could do after all you've done for me. I still owe you anyway."

"It's fine, Yukari," Minato grumbled as his face went red again. "You don't have to thank me."

"Even if you think so, I still don't," Yukari pointed out. "Hey, if you're gonna stick around after school today, after I finish Archery practice, wanna go get a Wuck burger?"

"Sorry, maybe another time," Minato shook his head. "I promised Chihiro I'd help tutor her in math, so I don't know how long I'll be. Hamuko'll be staying behind today for Student Council though, so maybe you can ask her."

"Yeah, okay. Well, I hope you feel better," Yukari eyed the boy seriously.

"No, really. I'm fine now," Minato tapped his fingers on his desk and stared at them. "Well, maybe I'm still a bit disappointed I messed up so badly with my friend. I just wanted to protect her…" He realized what he said and quickly added, "From weird rumors. A lot of it has been getting really bad lately, you know?"

Yukari felt he was hiding something, but seeing as she didn't want to pry too much into his life, she let it go. "I'm sure you can fix it if you try, Minato. She must be really kind and patient to put up with your attitude. I'm sure if you apologize things'll get better."

"Yeah…" Minato gently smiled as he remembered the nameless girl's wonderfully gentle brown eyes. He shook his head as he got up and stretched. "I know it's a bit late into Lunch, but I should go see how everybody else is doing. I'll catch you later."

Yukari smiled as the boy finally left the classroom. Hamuko returned a few minutes later and waved to Yukari. "Hey!"

"Hey," Yukari nodded. "Welcome back. Are you free after Student Council today? I wanted to get a Wuck burger with your brother, but he said he's busy."

"Well, I guess it's his loss," Hamuko smiled. She paused as she noticed the archer was sitting in Junpei's seat. "Thanks for helping him out, Yukari."

"No problem," the girl shrugged as she returned to her own seat. "I'm glad I could help."

* * *

Yukari sighed in relief as practice was finally over. "What a workout… I've gotta teach those freshmen how to clean up properly." She paused when she heard a couple of girls laughing in the outdoor corridor outside the gym. "Hm?"

A brunette laughed as she told her friend what happened. "So, I pretended to take a picture with my cell phone. She freaked out and started crying. Like it was the end of the world. You should've seen the look on her face… It was priceless."

Her friend laughed alongside her. "Oh my gawd!"

"I've never laughed so hard in all my life!" The two laughed even harder.

"They're making fun of someone…?" Yukari frowned. "Don't they have anything better to do?" If Minato were present, the Hellhound himself would have brought them into Hell, but seeing as she herself really had no authority in this situation, Yukari stayed put. She noticed when the second girl momentarily paused, as if caught in a short trance.

"Huh…? Where's that voice coming from…?"

Curious, Yukari tried to listen too but didn't notice anything. The first girl looked at her friend oddly. "What voice? I don't hear anything." Her friend didn't answer her. "What's wrong, Maki? Maki!"

The girl finally snapped out of it. "Huh?"

The brunette gave her friend a worried expression. "Are you okay!?"

"Sorry… What were we talking about?" They walked off and Yukari shook her head.

"About time they left. I can't stand girls like that…"

"Girls like what?" A boy's voice caught her attention and Yukari turned to see Minato coming towards her with Hamuko beside him. He saw the two gossiping girls walking away before quickly turning his head away to frown. "Oh… Ekoda's girls… Yeah, those two gave me trouble before."

"I thought you were tutoring?" Yukari asked.

"We finished early," Minato looked away, his face turning slightly red.

The archer looked to his sister for an explanation. Hamuko laughed as she told her. "So Chihiro-chan and Minato were studying in the library before a couple next to them snuck away to a remote aisle to make out. The two had to stop as nii-san decided to report the couple to Hidetoshi."

"They were a disturbance," Minato defended himself. "Plus, they shouldn't have said what they were gonna do aloud to begin with. I would have ignored it if they didn't."

"That's because you wouldn't have known," Hamuko sighed.

The blue-haired boy paused. "That's probably true…" He shook his head as he turned back to Yukari. "Anyway, you're finished, right? Let's go."

* * *

That night, Fuuka finally looked up when she sensed something strange happen. Around her, the room she was in became draped by an eerie green light and blood began to seep from the walls. Her eyes widened in fear as she quickly got up.

"Wh-what's going on?" The ground began to rumble and Fuuka felt the gymnasium storage room suddenly rise up from the ground.

When the building stopped shaking, she carefully reached for the door only to see it melt away, revealing an endless hallway. She found herself in a labyrinth filled with strange creatures. Fuuka didn't see them, but she did sense their presence. It was similar to the chill she had sensed on the roof yesterday with Minato.

"Y-yuki-kun…" she whispered his name, hoping he'd appear to help her as he had before. "Is this the danger you were trying to warn me about?"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Nii-san! I found two sets of armor for Yukari and me." Hamuko stared at the strange item she pulled out of the golden chest. "It's stronger than what we have on now. Should we change?"

"If it's stronger, sure," Minato replied into the comm.

"Hey, I just found the stairs!" Junpei called out.

"Everyone, we're going up," Minato ordered.

Yukari and Hamuko met up with each other and the red-eyed girl smiled. "Yukari! Here you go! Let's change before meeting up with the guys!"

"Huh?" Yukari looked at the strange armor. "O-okay, sure." As Yukari put it on, her face became red. "Wait… we can't wear this!"

Meanwhile, the boys patiently waited by the stairs. Junpei crossed his arms and turned to Minato. "What's taking them so long?"

Minato shrugged as he looked up towards Junpei. "Hamuko found some armor, so I guess they're changing." He turned his attention back to restringing his bow. "Just give them some time."

"D-dude…" Junpei nervously tried to get the leader's attention.

"What? Is something wrong?" Minato got to his feet and turned to see the two girls wearing extremely revealing armor. In fact, it wasn't armor. It barely covered anything. His face burned from embarrassment as he turned around. He glared at Junpei who was gawking at the two girls.

The capped boy panicked and turned around too. "W-what? I'm a guy!"

"Well, I'm an older brother!"

"Aw, I think we look nice," Hamuko sounded as if she were pouting.

"Are you kidding? I'm not wearing this!" Yukari was trying to cover herself.

Minato turned around, eyes closed and covered by a hand. His other hand pointed to the hall they just entered from. "Change back into what you had on before!"

"But this is stronger!" Hamuko argued.

"We're a team of class! Now go! Don't make me switch you out with Sanada-senpai!"

"Th-thanks," Yukari said as she quickly left.

"Killjoy," Hamuko whined.

Minato turned back to Junpei. "You have anything to say about my decision?"

Junpei shook his head. "Nah… If they kept that on, I'm pretty sure I'd be too distracted."

"Good," Minato sighed in relief. "If you said anything else, I probably would have skinned you."

"Come on, I'm not even into that sort of stuff," Junpei shrugged. "Are you?"

The blue-haired boy shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I don't really care about that sort of thing."

"Do you think Akihiko-senpai is?" Junpei smirked.

Again, the boy shrugged. "If you want to find out, you can try to convince Kirijo-senpai to wear it in front of him."

The capped boy's eyes widened. "No way… Mitsuru-senpai would kill us."

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Ah... Battle Panties... Or High-Cut Armor... No matter what they're called, they're a thing... I don't actually mind the fanservice since I'm pretty good at ignoring it and I tend to follow numbers anyways. If it's stronger, it's stronger. I only have to put up with it until I find something better after all. But... I have a friend who refuses to use them. A team of class has standards, I suppose. Hrm... Oh... I want to mention the nickname I ended up giving Minato... I wanted to give him a title that could have been derogatory yet dignified... I ended up with Hellhound since it would be like he was Hidetoshi's lapdog, but not really. It might have been a bit too cool... but I'm gonna stick with it because why not? As for Hamuko... she doesn't really need a nickname... but if anyone's curious, I think she'd be Gekkoukan's Princess... Capable of bending the school's population to her will with just a smile...


	13. Investigating Ghosts

**Author's Notes:** Okay, I'm gonna try to aim for regular updates, but things are variable. Mainly, it all depends on when I wake up...

* * *

~30 MAY 2009~

Minato put his bag down and took his seat. The classroom seemed to be buzzing with a new rumor, but he ignored it as he took out his notebook and pencil. It was only when he heard something interesting that he finally snapped his attention to the gossip.

"Did you hear? About that girl in 2-E…?"

"Yeah, they haven't got a clue…"

"Isn't that bizarre!?"

 _Girl? 2-E?_ Minato quickly stood up, surprising Junpei.

"Whoa!" The capped boy steadied himself as he saw Minato turn towards the students gossiping. "Man, can you believe these people…?" Minato turned to him with confusion written all over his face. "So, did you hear the details?" Junpei thought it was strange for Minato to be paying attention to rumors, but the concerned expression on the blue-eyed boy's face told the capped boy the leader was actually curious.

Minato debated with himself whether to listen or not. "I'm not interested," he decided to say as he sat back down.

"Stop acting like you don't care," Junpei shook his head. "You really should hear this…"

"What's going on?" Hamuko noticed the two boys talking.

"The rumors!" Junpei replied, surprised the gossip-savvy girl didn't already know.

Hamuko gave him a quizzical expression. "About what?"

"Well, a girl from 2-E went missing last night. This morning, they found her lying on the ground in front of the school gate! Nobody knows what happened, and supposedly, she's still unconscious."

Yukari came in then. "Morning."

"Yo, Yuka-tan." Junpei smirked. "This is a tough case, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective."

"Ace Detective?" Yukari laughed as if the boy had said a joke. "Are you stupid or something? More like Stupei, Ace Defective."

"Hey! I resent that." He frowned though as the girl normally comes to class earlier than him. "Anyway, where've you been?"

"I was talking to the teacher. That girl they found… I saw her yesterday, on my way back from practice. She seemed okay then…"

"Whoa…" Junpei's eyes widened. "Now, that's really strange."

Minato frowned to himself. _Yesterday? Did I see a Reaper yesterday on those girls? I can't remember… No, it's not that I can't remember. It's that I wasn't paying attention. Damn it…_ The girls went to their seats as Minato stared at his notebook in frustration. _Now of all times isn't when I should be losing focus!_

* * *

After spending the afternoon with Yuko, Minato was told another interesting rumor. An interesting man was seen hanging around in Club Escapade on some nights. Taking this as a chance to visit the fortune teller, Minato ended meeting the disillusioned monk Mutatsu. Glad that his sister was not accompanying him, Minato was able to spend a long while talking to the old man.

On his way out, he passed by the Den Mother. "I'm back," he said, hoping this time his fortune will actually help.

Mama smiled at him as he took a seat. "I feel another change…" Her ball remained clear but Minato soon saw a teal flower floating on a breeze. "A strong wind blows across the world, sending a blue flower's petal into the air… How will you interpret this wind…? As a weak and frail breeze," the flower slowly wilted in the dying wind, "or a brave and mighty gust…?" The images stopped as Minato felt a draft in the room.

"A flower blowing in the wind," Minato said to himself as he shivered slightly. _Fuuka Yamagishi…_

Mama only smiled at him. "You seem to already have an answer."

"Yes," the boy nodded. "Thank you for your help."

"Not at all," Mama waved as he left. "May your future be bright…"

As he came out of the club, he closed his eyes as he recalled the draft he had previously felt. _I need to speak with that girl again. I need her to introduce me to Yamagishi. I can't go about this indirectly anymore._

* * *

~1 JUNE 2009~

Minato groaned as his revived investigation was put into another halt. "I was hoping to speak with that girl again," he told Hamuko as they walked home together. "I wanted her to introduce me to Yamagishi. I know I was avoiding her all of Saturday, but this is important."

"Well, you did tell her to stay away from you," Hamuko pointed out. "Why did you do that anyway?"

"The Reaper fully appeared," Minato frowned to himself. "I panicked so I pushed her away."

"You must have hurt her feelings, nii-san." Hamuko gave him a disapproving shake of her head.

The older twin turned to her with a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't notice?" Hamuko blinked at the boy. "I think she likes you."

"You're not joking?" Minato stared at Hamuko's face, looking for any trace that she was teasing him. "No… I don't even know her name. There's no way… We've only met a few times and even then, it usually ended with you interrupting or me running away."

"Nii-san… She wanted to speak to you over me."

Minato tilted his head to the side. "What are you getting at?"

Frustrated by her brother's obliviousness, Hamuko groaned. "Never mind! You're completely hopeless. The point is, you probably chased her away for good. Even if you did see her again, it'll be hard for you to get as close to her as you did before."

"Yeah," Minato seemed a bit disappointed. "I guess my honest attempt at making a friend on my own accord completely blew up in my face."

Hamuko felt bad for her brother. He seemed to genuinely like this girl too and it hurt Hamuko to see how much he was beating himself up over this. "Hey, it's okay, nii-san. I'm sure if you speak to her again and actually show her that you're sorry, she'll forgive you."

"I still doubt it," Minato said. That was the last they had of that conversation because as they entered the dorm, it appeared that the rest of SEES were gathered around the table. It was rather rare to see everyone together for dinner so the twins joined them.

Junpei smiled at them before turning to Yukari. "Hey Yuka-tan, have you seen the posts on the student message board? You know how last week, that girl was found by the front gate? Well, there's this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story."

Yukari sat up, fear gleaming in her eyes. "H-hey! C'mon… Nobody believes that stuff!? R-right?" She looked to everyone else.

Mitsuru looked up from her papers. "So, what is this ghost story about?" she asked curiously.

The brunette was rather surprised the senior took Junpei's bait. "Wha—!? It-it's probably made-up… so why bother!?"

Akihiko nodded towards Junpei. "I'm interested. Go ahead and tell us."

"Oh, sweet!" Hamuko happily pulled up a chair and took a seat while Minato curiously leaned back against the wall behind her. "Nii-san and I love ghost stories!"

Seeing as nobody was with her on this, Yukari frowned. "Uh…"

Happy he got to tell his story, Junpei suddenly took out a flashlight and stuck it under his chin. Minato and Hamuko smirked at the boy's theatrics as he began. "Good evening. Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe It, or Don't'. There are many strange things in this world… According to one story… if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls! The other day, this friend of mine—let's call him Shu… He said to me, 'Junpei, I saw something strange.' He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E… He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night… But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true… Then, it hit me… That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat… Yes, there are strange things in this world… Believe it… or don't."

Mitsuru turned to the other senior. "What do you think, Akihiko?"

Junpei knit his eyebrows that the redhead. "Huh…? Not one word about my frankly amazing performance just now…?"

Akihiko smirked back at Mitsuru as they ignored him. "I think it's worth investigating."

The white-haired boy's response resulted in a low whine from Yukari. Junpei smirked at the brunette. "Wow, I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts, Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny."

"Hey, watch it!" Yukari glared at him. "F-fine, then let's investigate. We'll each ask around for the rest of the week. I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban legend!"

"I appreciate that," Mitsuru nodded. "The story is a bit unnerving."

Yukari was unable to tell if the senior was joking or not. "Huh…?"

Akihiko nodded his head as he agreed with the redhead. "Then, I'll let you guys handle it. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open…" he smirked to the four juniors.

"Whaaat…?" Yukari realized that she fell straight for the seniors' trap. The four juniors were now stuck with investigating the rumors. "Can you believe this?" She asked Hamuko.

The red-eyed girl shrugged. "Well, it gives us something to do, at least. Right, nii-san?"

"It makes no difference to me," Minato frowned as he found a few things odd about Junpei's story.

"I know that look," Hamuko smiled as she saw the gears turning in her brother's head. "You figured something out."

"What? Already?" Junpei watched the blue-haired junior in disbelief. "It took me forever to get my friend to spill and you're saying you already know what exactly happened?"

Minato shook his head. "Not exactly. I have an idea though." He stood from the table and sighed. "There are a few things I'm missing before I can actually say with certainty what happened so I'm going to bed."

"He's kidding, right?" Junpei turned to Hamuko.

The girl shook her head as she proudly smiled at her brother. "Nope. Your story probably gave him most of the clues he needed to figure out his own investigation."

"Is he still looking into Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.

Junpei brightened at that. "So he wants her to join after all?"

Yukari shook her head the capped boy. "He's probably worried that she has the Potential and is dealing with the Dark Hour alone."

"O-oh," Junpei frowned as he remembered how he had been when he discovered the Dark Hour. "But if she is experiencing it, she'll have to join, right?"

"Maybe," Akihiko replied with a shrug. "It all depends on what she can do."

"Nii-san will come up with something," Hamuko said with certainty. "He hasn't let us down yet."

* * *

Minato opened his eyes when he felt a familiar presence in his room. He sat up to see a familiar little boy staring at him. "Good evening. I came to see you again, as I promised. How are you?"

"It's you…" Minato really wanted to go back to sleep.

"I'm glad you remembered me," the boy smiled.

"Yeah, well get out of here." Minato lay back down and pulled his covers up but the boy shook his head and frowned at him.

"That isn't very nice; show a little courtesy." He came a bit closer to the older boy and began whispering into Minato's ear. "Now… In another week, the moon will be full again. And the next ordeal will be upon you. So, be careful." He slowly disappeared but the smile never vanished from his face. "I'll come again."

* * *

~5 June 2009~

For most of that week, Minato watched as Yukari and Hamuko hectically asked people for any information regarding the rumors. Junpei didn't seem to care much for the investigation and had told the leader that he would leave it all to Yukari. As for Minato himself, an investigation like this needed to be handled efficiently so he let the girls do the legwork as he sat back and pieced together what he currently knew. Minato took out a pencil as he began drawing a thought map to help with his deductions.

 _So I'm currently dealing with two cases. One regards the rumors of one Fuuka Yamagishi and the other on the fainting girls… Now from an outsider's perspective, they may seem like two separate cases, but what if it's just one big interconnected case?_

 _In that case, let's start with the basics. Fuuka Yamagishi is a girl from Class 2-E. According to rumor, she doesn't attend class much because of her health. Given her student health records, I can confirm that much to be true, but somehow I doubt the records Sanada-senpai initially handed to me. It doesn't quite match the hospital files I asked Kirijo-senpai to pull for me. Now I can dismiss the school files or the hospital files so for the basis of all of my next assumptions, I will disregard the school files as I feel they have been tampered with._

 _Following this decision, this is where the rumor diverges from the truth. Fuuka Yamagishi's attendance records show no signs of extended absences, furthering my suspicions on her school health records. In fact, her attendance is near perfect except for the past week. Now, besides having regular checkups, nothing in her hospital files indicated she was sickly, but there is still the chance that she became ill this week. So this discrepancy leads me to a question. Where did this rumor come from?_

 _To answer that, I must look at the rumor itself. Yukari said there were rumors of her being 'weak'. As I noted before, it had been an interesting rumor. Hamuko noted that it was plain and I agreed, but my 'instinct' disagreed on that front. Something about it stuck with me and I believe I now know why. Before, I had taken 'weak' and 'sickly' to be interchangeable but what if I turned my way of thinking around? If 'weak' does not equate to 'sickly' then I must use another definition for the word 'weak'._

 _Here is where it gets difficult. I do not know Fuuka Yamagishi. It's impossible for me to decide which definition of 'weak' to apply in this situation. Any assumption past this point would merely be conjecture and as this would result in an infinite amount of theories, I will have to stop this line of reasoning for now._

 _My next line of reasoning will start from the ghost stories that have been rapidly spreading. Now the first victim of this so-called ghost was found Saturday morning, yet just the afternoon before, Yukari, Hamuko and I saw her completely fine. I regret to say that I missed a chance to look for a Reaper, but it was due to personal negligence that I failed to check this point. That said, I am unsure whether this Reaper is related to the Reaper I saw on my unnamed friend who I will henceforth refer to as…_

Minato frowned as he became stumped. "Er…" He looked around the classroom before he found his sister. "Hamuko, if I ever had a child, what would be a good name for them?"

"Makoto!" the girl replied. "Makoto Yuki! That way the 'harbor of courage' gives rise to 'true courage'!"

"Oh… That's pretty clever. Okay, thanks."

Minato returned to his diagram. _Where was I?_

 _Oh, right. 'Makoto'. So I sensed the Reaper on her. This was partly my fault for my needless meddling, but if I assume the Reaper on 'Makoto' is the same as the one on the first victim, it would mean all girls associated with Fuuka Yamagishi would be in danger. This coincides with the fact that I have not seen 'Makoto' present in class for the past week. It is quite possible that she became a victim of the 'ghost'. If not, then she's just very good at avoiding me due to my blunder. For her sake as well as mine, I hope it is the latter._

 _Actually, it must be the latter considering Junpei's story brought up an interesting point. Yukari, Hamuko and I saw the first victim Friday afternoon. Yet this friend of Junpei's, 'Shu', saw the victim Friday night. Now why would the victim return to campus in the middle of the night? The victim knows nothing of the Dark Hour or Tartarus, so there must have been something at the school that drew her here._

 _If that's the case, then a stakeout of the school during the night would have revealed something to us. However, we have visited Tartarus twice this week, but nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Hamuko told me she was hearing more voices of the Lost, but I believe that it is because there is a Full Moon approaching._

 _That's right… A Full Moon means another Ordeal. If we do not solve this case soon, I fear another incident will be added on top of this investigation. That being said, there is also a chance for the ghost of this case to be a Shadow. If it is, I predict it will be like the previous two large Shadows we have fought. It is strange that the victims of this case do not become one of The Lost, however. They do have Apathy Syndrome, but they aren't showing the regular symptoms that The Lost usually display in the streets of Iwatodai. This could be unique to the Shadow, but I feel that this hypothesis is rather weak._

 _This is all I have for now. When the team meets up tonight, I will try to add Yukari's information to what I have. Hamuko has been consistently giving me a daily report of what she's learned so I have nothing to worry about there. Junpei, on the other hand, dropped out of the investigation entirely, but it is thanks to him I was able to question the validity of Fuuka Yamagishi's health report._

 _As a closing, I shall list all of my remaining questions here. What is the true form of the rumor 'Fuuka Yamagishi is weak'? Why has her student health record been tampered with and by whom? Just who is Fuuka Yamagishi? What is the true nature of the ghost stories? Just what exactly happened to the victims? Why did the first victim return to campus in the middle of Friday night? What is the next Ordeal and is it related to the ghosts? And as a personal mystery of my own, what is the true name of 'Makoto'?_

Minato stared at the list of questions he wrote down. "Yeah… That should do it."

Yukari came into the classroom then, satisfied with the new information she just uncovered. She saw Minato staring at a paper with a bunch of scribbles and lines all over it and raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you really investigating?"

The boy shrugged. "I'm merely synthesizing information. Whether you consider that investigating or not is up to your discretion."

"Why are you talking like that?" Junpei asked.

Minato's face warmed a little. "Sorry. It's a habit I picked up from my parents."

Hamuko lightly laughed. "They were detectives so the two of us used to pretend we were them on a case."

"Anyway," Minato shifted the conversation away from their childhood as he looked to Yukari, "What's up?"

Yukari looked at the three of them seriously. "Well, today's Friday. Did you two ask around, like we said?" She eyed the two boys sternly.

"Huh?" Junpei raised an eyebrow at Yukari. "We had something planned for today?" His attempt at a joke resulted in the girl glaring at him. "I know, I know! I'm just kidding! Man, you have such a short temper…"

Ignoring him, Yukari turned to the twins. "Then, we'll meet in the lounge after school. Don't forget!"

"Yes, Ma'am," Junpei sighed as he sank into his seat. He turned to Minato and shook his head. "Jeez, if I knew Yuka-tan would get so wound up, I'd never have told the seniors that story."

"It's fine," the boy replied as he studied his map once more. "Thanks to you I got some good information. Besides, it's her own fault for being afraid of ghosts."

"You don't believe in ghosts?" Junpei smirked.

"Oh, we do," Hamuko chuckled. "We're just not afraid of them."

"After all," her brother shrugged, "the dead can't hurt the living." _They're dead,_ he wryly thought.

* * *

When the juniors finally returned, Yukari directed everyone to the dinner table as she called the meeting to order. "Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we'll now hold a meeting to discuss what we learned."

"Wow," Junpei was surprised at the girl's demeanor. "You're really into this."

"Of course," Yukari crossed her arms and smirked. "I got lots of good info. It turns out no angry ghost was involved."

Junpei frowned at Yukari. "Oh, so that's what's important, huh?"

"Yeah," Minato rolled his eyes. "That much should have been obvious from the start."

"Hmph," Yukari frowned as the two boys gave her a look as if they were unsure whether to take her seriously. "First off, let's talk about how this rumor got started…" At this Minato finally sat up to pay attention. "Since the girl was found on school grounds, there's at least one similarity to the ghost story. But, why did the rumor spread so fast, if this was the first time anything happened?"

Junpei smiled. "The ghost did it!"

Yukari groaned. "Please… Let it go."

Minato smirked as he gave a joke of his own. "Her dying message," he nodded with a serious expression on his face.

"Dying message?" Yukari sighed at the boys. "Um, the victim isn't dead."

Hamuko shook her head as she answered seriously. "It was the third time!"

"Correct!" Yukari pointed at her with a smile on her face. "But yeah," her light brown eyes widened a little. "I was surprised when I found out the reason… Over the next few days, there were two more similar incidents. All three victims had to be hospitalized. No wonder people were talking."

Minato nodded in understanding as he took out his thought map and began making adjustments to it. _This makes it more likely that 'Makoto' is indeed a victim. But this introduces the question of what drew her to campus in the middle of the night. She doesn't seem like that type of person… Although according to Junpei's story, the first victim wasn't either…_

Yukari continued with her findings. "Next, the victims are in different classes, and they don't seem to be connected. However, they did have one thing in common. What was it?"

Junpei frowned at Yukari. "What is this, a quiz show?" He turned to Hamuko. "Do YOU know?"

"They went to our school!" Hamuko guessed.

Yukari and Minato both sighed as the archer gave the red-eyed girl a wry smile. "HELLO… We already KNOW that."

Junpei shrugged as he tried giving an answer of his own. "Maybe they ate out a lot."

"Ate out a lot...?" Yukari gave him a look of disbelief. "Are you crazy? What's that got to do with anything?"

The capped boy shrugged again. "Well, some families never eat out."

"You be quiet!" Yukari glared at him.

Minato knit his eyebrows together as he became serious. "The girls hung out together," he ended up answering, much to Hamuko and Junpei's surprise.

"Yup, that's right!" Yukari became relieved when the boy finally gave her a reasonable response. "Not just once or twice, either. They got in with a bad crowd, and were always out late. It can't be just a coincidence… So, to find out what happened, we're gonna do some field research."

"Field research?" Junpei looked at her in surprise. "Are you kidding?"

"Yeah, there's this one place where the three victims were regulars."

"Wait," the tallest junior's face went pale. "You're not talkin' about that place behind Port Island Station, are you…?"

"Oh, you're familiar with it?"

The boy stood up and slammed his hands on the table. "You can't go there! I've heard some nasty rumors about that place!"

"Is that so?" Yukari crossed her arms as she didn't seem to be afraid. "Well then, we should all go together." She turned to the twins. "You'll come, right?"

"Maybe next time!" Hamuko nervously replied.

"C'mon, where's your spirit of adventure?" Yukari looked over to Minato.

The boy studied the air around Yukari but didn't see anything too alarming. "I don't mind."

"H-huh? Nii-san!?" Hamuko blinked at her brother in surprise.

"I'll take that as a yes," Yukari nodded in satisfaction.

"Forget it," Junpei looked to the two reckless juniors. "That place is bad news. I mean, don't you think we're getting in over our heads?"

Yukari looked down in slight disappointment. "Up until now, all we've done is take orders. Even Minato has to report back to Mitsuru-senpai despite being leader. Does that feel right to you?"

"I know what you mean, but…" Junpei frowned. "Man, did you have to say it like that? I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" He looked over to Hamuko. "So are you in too?"

"Someone has to take care of nii-san," Hamuko relented.

Yukari brightened at that. "Okay, we'll go tomorrow night, then."

* * *

~6 JUNE 2009~

Minato leaned against the reception counter as he kept an eye on the three other juniors. Yukari finally nodded when everyone gathered around the front door. "Alright, let's get going."

"What's your hurry?" Junpei frowned. "I still think this is a bad idea. How could you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this..?"

"It's easy to get freaked out by something you can't see, don'tcha think?"

Hamuko and Minato looked to each other before the older twin shrugged. Junpei on the other hand shook his head. "Actually, I'm more worried about things I CAN see… like bats and knives!"

"Junpei's got a point," Hamuko shrugged, hoping she could dissuade both her friend and brother from going. "Come on, nii-san," she frowned at her usually overprotective and paranoid brother. "You can't really think this is a good idea, right?"

Minato shook his head as he recalled something their father once told him. "A good detective is undaunted by the dangers of investigation," he unwavering stated with his blue eyes ablaze.

"Really? You're quoting Dad at a time like this?" Hamuko sighed at his response. "And here I thought you inherited Mom's sensibility... I mean, you practically just admitted that this is dangerous too..."

Yukari sighed. "Big deal, so it's a little 'dangerous'… Come on, it'll be an adventure!" She opened the door and led the way.

"More like a suicide mission," Junpei muttered.

"But I guess we have no choice," Hamuko shook her head before looked to the capped boy expectantly. "You'll protect us, right?"

This made the boy muster up as much bravado as he could. "H-huh? Hey, you know it! Leave it to me! C'mon, let's go!"

"No, wait! I didn't mean it like that, Junpei!" The red-eyed girl groaned to herself as the tall boy allowed himself to get carried away by her words. Before following after him, she looked back at her brother as he calmly locked the door behind them.

"Relax, Hamuko," Minato shrugged as he stood at her side. "If anything happens, I'll take care of it," he seriously reassured his younger sister.

* * *

As the four arrived in the back alley, all eyes turned to them. Minato remained calm as he scanned the teens hanging out. One punk stood up to get a better look at them. "The hell?"

His friend pointed at the emblem on Minato's uniform. "Check out those rags… They're from Gekkou High."

"Oh man, this is worse than I thought…" Junpei nervously took a step back, but Yukari stopped him.

The first teen sized up both Gekkoukan boys before singling out the trembling Junpei standing behind the girls. "Hey, you. I think you're in the wrong place."

"Uh," Junpei gulped. "Well, I…"

"You don't belong here… Get it?" The punk glared at the capped boy. "Beat it, Goatee…"

"G-goatee?" Junpei's eyes widened. "Oh, y-you mean me…" He shrunk back but Yukari glared at the punk.

"We don't need your permission to be here," she defiantly said.

"H-hey!" Junpei pulled on her arm. "Are you nuts!? Take a look around you!"

"I'm not blind, ya know. Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!"

Minato's eyes narrowed as he tensed his body, prepared to take out anyone who would come close to them. The punk glared at Yukari. "What was that?"

A girl behind him rolled her eyes. "She just called us 'scum'. We'll post some picture that will make her daddy cry!" Hamuko noticed Yukari tense up. "She'll wish she was never born!" The girl began laughing. "Oh, that's so clever!"

Yukari's face beginning to grow red from anger. "These guys are the worst…"

"You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours," the first punk told her as he approached them. Junpei quickly got in front of Yukari and stopped the guy from getting any closer. "Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee. This bitch is a pain in the ass…" He suddenly punched Junpei in the stomach.

"Urgh!" Junpei bowled over.

"Junpei…!" Yukari knelt at his side.

The four of them were surrounded now and Minato tensed up, ready for a brawl. The punk noticed the scrawny junior's stance and sneered at him. "What? You looking for a fight?"

"Are you?" The SEES field leader's eyes flashed dangerously, resulting in the teens flinching back a bit.

"Minato!" Hamuko quickly grabbed her brother and held him back before the blue-haired boy got them into even more trouble.

"That's enough," a voice called out from deep within the alley. Hamuko turned to see the familiar silhouette of a tall boy, coming out of the darkness. "They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

"Who do you think you are, dumbass?" the punk spat. "You want some too!?"

The brunet sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

"That's it, you're goin' down!" He punched the tall boy but it was easily dodged. In return, the taller boy rammed his head into the punk, knocking him backwards. The punk let out a gasp as the air was knocked out of his lungs. "Shit…"

His friend helped him up and glared at the boy in the maroon peacoat. "Damn you, Shinjiro… That's right… You're from Gekko High too, aren't ya!? I thought you were one of us…"

"What gave you that idea?" Shinjiro asked, annoyance clear in his tone. "I don't remember swearing a blood oath."

The first boy collected himself and was ready for another round. "You son of a bitch! You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive!?"

"Sure do. Wanna give it a try?" the cloaked boy didn't back down.

"Uh…" the delinquent shivered as the older boy glared at him. "S-screw this…"

Another girl began laughing. "What a loser!"

The first boy shot back some parting words as he ran away with his tail between his legs. "You better grow eyes in the back of your head!"

Junpei smiled at the older boy. "Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome!" He paused when Shinjiro turned to glare at them.

"Hey, I remember you… You clowns were in Aki's room at the hospital." The four looked to each other nervously. "You idiots! Get outta here. This place isn't for you."

Yukari called out after him. "Wait! We came here for a reason!"

The boy turned to her. "Did Aki tell you to come here?"

Hamuko shook her head as the ghostly girl from before appeared behind him. "No."

"Hmph," Shinjiro studied the red-eyed girl but decided she was telling the truth. "What do you wanna know? About that ghost story?"

"Um, yeah," Yukari gave the older boy a confused look. "How'd you know?"

The older boy turned away. "It's a rumor. Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night… About all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

Minato's eyes went wide as Junpei spoke up. "Fuuka…? You mean Fuuka Yamagishi, from 2-E? They were picking on her?"

Shinjiro nodded. "That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it."

"Fuuka's spirit…?" Yukari frowned. "Wait, what do you mean by that!?"

"You guys don't know?" Shinjiro looked to the blue-haired boy. "This Fuuka girl might be dead." He noticed as Minato went pale. "She hasn't been home in over a week." He kept his steel eyes carefully trained on the junior and noticed how the younger boy's blue eyes slowly grew unfocused.

 _Dead...?_ Minato brought his right hand up to his forehead, covering his eye and forcing his bangs back. _That can't be possible!_ He shifted his left eye towards the Reaper standing behind Shinjiro. _Did I miss something!?_

 _Yeah, this kid knows…_ Shinjiro mentally sighed before he shifted his gaze over to the red-eyed girl staring at him intently. _I don't know 'bout her, but somethin' ain't right about the way she's looking at me._

Junpei shook his head in disbelief. "Are you serious!? I thought she was out sick… But, she's missing!?"

"So much for the ghost story," Yukari frowned. "Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right? Does he know about this?"

Shinjiro looked off into the distance. "I get it, Aki… Still trying to make up for the past. It's you who can't let go…"

Hamuko watched as the ghost girl shook her head and was trying to tug at the boy's sleeve. _"That's not it, Shinji-nii! They need your help! Aki-nii needs you, too!"_

The red-eyed brunette bit her bottom lip as she attempted to approach the older boy. "What's wrong, Shinjiro-san?"

Surprised he was being addressed so directly, Shinjiro stared at Hamuko for a while before noticing her expectant gaze. After a while, he looked away before shaking his head. "Nothing… That's all I know. Satisfied?"

Hamuko was a bit dissatisfied with that answer but looking at her brother and friends, she figured they managed to gather quite a lot of information. Turning back towards the intimidating boy, Hamuko gave him a smile and politely bowed. "Thank you very much."

"I didn't do nothin'," Shinjiro turned away, slightly embarrassed. _What's with this girl?_

 _He's a bit like nii-san,_ Hamuko giggled as she turned to Junpei expectantly.

Her capped friend quizzically stared at her before he quickly followed suit in her actions. "Y-Yeah!" He exclaimed with a bow. "Thanks, Senpai!" He looked to Minato who seemed to have lost focus. "C'mon, show some appreciation."

Minato quickly snapped out of it and as he lowered his hand from his face, he looked to Yukari. The two finally bowed to the senior and Yukari gratefully thanked him. "Thanks! You totally helped us out! You even gave us a hint… You're very kind."

"Huh?" Shinjiro glared at the junior.

"I, um…" Yukari shook her head. "Never mind."

"Tch…" Shinjiro retreated towards the dark alley. "Don't come here again."

Hamuko saw the little girl disappear once again as she turned towards her brother. "Minato?"

The boy responded by looking at her. "H-huh?"

She saw a strange dull glow in his eyes and became worried. "Hey, is something on your mind?"

He shook his head while training to regain his composure. "We learned a lot tonight," he finally answered, turning away from her. He addressed the other two as he passed them. "Let's get back before something actually happens."

"Right," Hamuko agreed.

Minato frowned to himself as he led the way. _Fuuka Yamagishi might be dead? This makes no sense, given the facts I have._ He took a deep breath. _I need to calm down. I'll have to go over this tomorrow._

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Hamuko woke up when she sensed someone in her room. "Nii-san, is that you?" She rubbed her eyes and found herself staring into glowing blue eyes. "Oh, it's you!"

The mysterious boy seemed sad. "Your brother ignored me."

"Oh, well, he's probably got a lot on his mind," Hamuko nodded in understanding. "It's okay though. You can speak with me."

The boy smiled as he sat on her bed. "How are you?"

"Pretty good, I guess?" Hamuko didn't really know how else to answer the young boy.

He seemed happy with her response though. "I'm glad you remembered me. I passed on a message to your brother of another Ordeal during the next Full Moon."

"That's nice of you," Hamuko smiled. "I hope he thanked you."

"No," the boy shook his head. "He went back to sleep… He's not very nice," he noticed.

"He's only nice when he has to be," the younger twin explained.

"But he's always so grumpy…"

"That's how he is. It's mainly because he's too kind but also hopelessly awkward. Just make sure you don't grow up to be like him."

The boy smiled brightly at her. "I'll try. This was rather fun. I'll come visit you again."

"I look forward to it," Hamuko nodded as he vanished. "Nii-san, you're such a bad influence on little kids," she muttered to himself as she went back to sleep.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I had a lot of fun playing detective this chapter. It's kinda hard to make it so Minato is close to the truth but not completely there. I mean... By now, it should be easy to figure out that Fuuka is his nameless friend. I can probably attribute it to denial though, like during the whole Odaiba Vamdemon arc in Digimon Adventure. It was obvious that Hikari was the eighth child, but Taichi probably didn't want to acknowledge the truth that a powerful evil Digimon was targeting his little sister. Hrm... I never did give the definition of Hamuko's name... It's kinda weird because the way her name is derived is actually an improper reading of part of the kanji for 'protagonist'. As for Arisato, it's nothing special since I think it only means 'village'. So she's the 'village protagonist'? Well... she's more of a protagonist than Minato sometimes so it fits.


	14. Imperial Rescue Mission

**Author's Notes:** One of the longest chapters I have. The longest one is another operation chapter, but I'll get to it when I get to it. For now though, it's time for pretty much the highlight of the game for me. Saving Fuuka... Yeah, I'm super biased but to each their own.

* * *

~7 JUNE 2009~

Minato sat at his desk and took out a clean sheet of paper. He carefully set his first thought map to the side and studied his list of questions. He tapped his pencil on his desk for a few minutes before he found a suitable place to start.

 _Okay, time to go over the information Shinjiro-senpai gave us. According to him, the victims of the 'ghost' were girls who visited the back alley during the night, badmouthing Yamagishi. This answers the question of the rumors regarding Yamagishi. The definition of 'weak' I will now use will refer to Yamagishi being the victim of bullying. She is 'weak' because she could not stand up to them. The more specific terms of 'weak-willed' or 'weak-hearted' come to mind, but again, I do not know Yamagishi so I cannot say they're accurate. Plus, it's rather rude to base a person's character off of some rumors, so I will refrain for now._

 _Another factoid Shinjiro-senpai shared was that the 'ghost' is the vengeful spirit of Yamagishi. He said for himself that Yamagishi 'may be dead' but I refuse to believe that. The days before her disappearance, I would have noticed a Reaper. In fact, the only Reaper I noticed was on…_

Minato's face went white as he shook his head. He scanned his first sheet a few times to see if anything could contradict with his current line of thinking.

 _No, 'Makoto' is the only Reaper I saw with certainty. But there's no way she could be Fuuka Yamagishi…! She could be… But she can't…! No, it's possible… Stop, it's impossible…!_

The blue-haired boy slammed a fist down onto his desk and forced himself to clear his mind. "Don't let your personal feelings get in the way," he scolded himself. "The truth is right in front of you. The only challenge is to not turn away from it." He took a deep breath as he took out a red pen and marked his first diagram before continuing with his second thought map.

 _Let's add another assumption. Let's say 'Makoto' is indeed Yamagishi-san. This coincides with the fact that during the last week, I did not see her at school. Yamagishi-san's attendance records show that she did attend classes that Friday after we spoke, but on the Saturday the first victim was found, she was not present. I did not see Yamagishi-san at all on Friday, but did see the first victim._

 _That's right… I saw only the first victim on that Friday. Shinjiro-senpai didn't give an exact time on when Yamagishi-san disappeared, but something must have happened to her between the time I last saw her on Thursday and that next Saturday when the first victim was found. This narrows it down to Friday. Most likely the incident occurred during the afternoon. I can say this with certainty because of a couple of reasons. One: Yamagishi-san's attendance record shows she was indeed in class on Friday. Two: the first victim deliberately returned to campus that night. But why would the victim return?_

 _If I assume this is related to Yamagishi-san's bullying, the victim must have done something Yamagishi-san earlier that day that warranted her to return. Did she need to get rid of evidence? Or was it something else? I suppose I don't know enough to elucidate this situation so I must stop this line of reasoning for now._

 _Instead, I must focus on a very important question. Where is Fuuka Yamagishi now? Someone with the Potential should be easy for Kirijo-senpai to track, but Yamagishi-san hasn't awakened to her Persona. Kirijo-senpai's powers are also not fully developed in regards for searching outside of Tartarus so it would be impossible for me to ask her to search for Yamagishi-san. Nobody has seen the missing girl for over a week. She must be somewhere, even if it is a difficult place to get to, but the only place that comes to mind is Tartarus._

Minato looked outside his window towards the high school. The foreboding Reaper Cloud over it cast a shadow over the building despite it being a bright Sunday afternoon.

 _But the incident occurred during the day. Friday afternoon… There's no way a person would be trapped in Tartarus then. This only leaves the other possible explanation and that would be that Yamagishi-san is…_

Minato's pencil snapped in half. "She's not dead!" He threw the broken utensil away and slammed both his fists ionto his desk. "She can't be dead!" He let out a frustrated yell as he pushed himself away from his desk. The blue-haired boy collapsed face down onto his bed, slightly shifting to his side before curling into a fetal position.

Outside in the hall, Hamuko thought back to the younger boy she met that day. "So Ken-kun goes to Gekkoukan Elementary?" She handed Junpei some coins.

Junpei nodded. "Yeah. Yuka-tan and I talk to him a lot considering he spends a lot of time by himself at the shrine." Minato's violent outburst made Junpei look down the hall as he put a coin into the vending machine. "Huh?" He turned to Hamuko as he tossed her a can of Mad Bull. "Is something wrong with your brother?"

She thanked the capped boy as she frowned at her brother's closed door. "He must have figured something out."

"That's great, right?" Junpei smiled.

Hamuko shook her head. "I don't think he liked what he discovered."

"O-oh," Junpei's smirk wavered. "Hey, I'm going to go out. You want me to order takeout for you and your brother?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks, Junpei."

The capped boy tugged on his cap before heading downstairs. Hamuko watched him for a while before going down the hall. She carefully knocked on her brother's door. "Nii-san?"

There was no answer and Hamuko carefully opened the door. He never kept it locked considering she was his daily alarm clock. She held her breath as she let herself in, but noticed her brother had his back turned towards her.

After closing the door, she quietly walked up to him before sitting at his side. She placed a hand on his arm. "Nii-san?"

"Shinjiro-senpai is probably right," Minato muttered, mainly to himself. "Fuuka Yamagishi is probably dead."

Hamuko glared at her brother's defeatist attitude. "You don't know that for certain."

"I know the probability is high," Minato responded, angry fear filling his voice. "Go check out my notes for yourself if you don't believe me."

Hamuko picked up the papers on his desk. It was a bit difficult to make out considering he tended to write extremely quickly whenever his thoughts were in a frenzy, but she studied the flow charts as best as she could. "So you think your 'nameless friend' is Fuuka…" Sad worry entered the girl's red eyes. "Is that why you're so upset?"

"It looks like I ended up killing her," the older brother lifelessly said. "I should have never tried to recruit her into SEES. I should have noticed how the girls in her classroom were treating her." He rolled into a tighter ball as his voice cracked, "I should never have tried to reach out to her."

"Nii-san…" Hamuko returned to his side and knelt down. She placed a comforting hand on his head and smoothed his hair. "It isn't your fault…"

Minato bitterly laughed. "I practically handed her to the Reaper, Hamuko. She's gone…"

"I think there's still a chance," Hamuko muttered, pressing her forehead against her brother's back. Minato didn't respond so she continued. "It's a high probability she's dead, but that means there's a small chance she's still alive. In fact, I'm sure she's alive."

Minato stared at his knees before asking, "Is that your instinct talking?"

The girl shook her head. "It's me _believing_ , nii-san."

"Believing, huh?" The older twin was rather dubious. "You're willing to make a gamble against me on this belief?"

"Yup," Hamuko smirked as she stood up. "Besides, if she were dead, don't you think I'd be able to see her?"

"Don't make jokes like that," Minato said, rolling over to face her.

"Says the boy who thinks she's dead," Hamuko crossed her arms and challenged her brother.

"We'll see then," the boy stared out his window. "Tomorrow."

"Alright then," the girl nodded. "By the way, the loser has to pay Junpei back for tonight's dinner."

"Wait, what?"

* * *

~8 JUNE 2009~

The four juniors hurried to the Faculty Office to meet with Ekoda but were surprised when they saw a certain senior already there. Yukari looked to the older student oddly. "Oh, Mitsuru-senpai. Why are you here?"

"Same reason as you," she nodded to the juniors before turning towards the man beside her. "Mr. Ekoda, I'm here to ask you about a student named Fuuka Yamagishi…"

A girl with brown hair looked to the group with wide eyes. "No! I-I never thought it'd turn out like this… Fuuka…"

Yukari stared at her for a moment before realizing something. "Wait… You're that girl…"

Minato cut the junior off as his Hellhound instincts immediately took over. "What the hell did you do to Yamagishi-san?"

Beside him, Mitsuru nodded as she took a more level-headed approach to questioning the suspicious girl sitting before them. "You will explain yourself to us."

Mr. Ekoda tried to calm both members of the Student Council. "Hold on, Mitsuru… This isn't an interrogation. Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."

"It's already too late for that," Minato glared at the man. "Besides, should you really be getting in our way right now? Your ass is already in hot water."

"Why, you—!?"

"Yuki," Mitsuru glared at the junior and noticed that he didn't flinch as he normally did. "I understand your concerns but Mr. Ekoda is correct about the situation. Arisato, calm your brother."

Hamuko nodded and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Here, I'll take over." After her brother reluctantly stepped aside, the brunette knelt before Natsuki and looked the terrified girl straight in the eyes. Keeping her tone soft and gentle, Hamuko lightly pressed her to speak to them. "It's okay, Natsuki-chan. Just explain to us what you know."

The girl nodded, feeling more at ease. "Fuuka… She… She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time… Then, I realized… She's an honor student, but deep inside, she's the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push. We were just messin' with her that day, too! May 29th… We took Fuuka to the gym… and locked the door from the outside…"

"What!?" Junpei exclaimed. "You locked her in!?"

Yukari and Minato turned to each other, alarmed that they had just missed what had happened. The blue-haired boy's hands clenched into fists, but he did his best to remain calm as Natsuki continued. "That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back… and the next morning…" She trailed off.

Yukari nodded her head as she pieced it together. "She was found lying on the ground by the gate."

"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked… So, I opened it and went inside, but she wasn't there… We all freaked out. Starting that night, we all went looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing… and they each ended up like Maki!"

"I see," Mitsuru frowned as a theory came to her. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda," she turned towards the teacher. "All this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absences to 'illness'. But in reality, she was missing." Minato haughtily smirked as he had previously informed the redhead of this blatant discrepancy. "You must have been aware of that… What was your intention?"

The teacher nervously looked away. "I was thinking of the students, of course. You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected."

"That's bullshit," Minato spat out in disgust, making the man flinch. "You knew what was going on with Yamagishi-san and you just let it happen—"

"Yuki!" Mitsuru waited as the Hellhound took a few deep breaths before taking care of the matter herself. "You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for the 'good of the class'." She studied the man's nervous ticks as he avoided her gaze.

"It, it was in her best interest. I wouldn't want her records to be stained by something like this. Her parents agree!"

Minato opened his mouth, but Mitsuru quickly preempted his next outburst with a glare. Sensing her cold gaze, Minato simply narrowed his eyes on the man as his fists tightened, causing his knuckles to go white. Glad it worked, Mitsuru continued. "So to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher… How despicable…!"

Ekoda gasped as her words stung like a blizzard frost. "I-I didn't… I was just…"

Mitsuru ignored him as she turned back to Natsuki. "About your friends… Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? Anything at all."

Hamuko gave her another gentle smile. "Don't worry. Ekoda is the one in trouble here, not you. Anything you say can help us find Fuuka."

Natsuki nodded. "They all heard a voice… A creepy voice. Right before each of them went missing. They said it was calling their name."

Junpei shivered. "Oh, man…"

Yukari looked towards their senior. "Senpai, could it be…!?"

Mitsuru took the team privately aside. "It's them… no doubt about it. Until now, there was no way of knowing how or why some people are conscious during the Dark Hour… But, it's the voice; it draws them in. It's not a random phenomenon. This whole thing has made me realize… They're clearly targeting humans. Shadows are the enemy of mankind." Hamuko and Minato looked to each other with a frown but Mitsuru turned her attention back towards Natsuki. "Stay at our dorm tonight; it's the safest place." The girl nodded in response. "If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave the room, no matter what. If you can do that much, you should be okay. Don't worry, Yamagishi should be alright as well," her eyes wandered over to Minato. His usual blank but calm expression returned to his face as he nodded to the senior in understanding. Mitsuru addressed the rest of the team. "We'll meet after school in the Student Council Room to discuss tonight's operation."

Junpei was surprised. "T-tonight!?"

"We're going to rescue Yamagishi," Mitsuru nodded. "If my guess is right, she's still inside the school." She dismissed the juniors but had Minato stay behind. "Yuki, I need to speak to you."

The boy glanced at Natsuki and Ekoda. "Can we do it as we walk?"

"Of course," the redhead nodded.

"I know it's about my outbursts," Minato stared straight ahead as he walked beside her. "I'll do my best to control my temper next time."

"See to it that you do. You may lead SEES but you are still a student of Gekkoukan, so you must learn to act your place."

"I understand," Minato frowned to himself.

Satisfied that he learned his lesson, Mitsuru smirked at the boy. "I do have to thank you though. Without your deductions, this would have escaped my notice. Good work as usual, Yuki. Be sure to keep it up."

Minato straightened up and saluted the Student Council President. "Of course, Senpai!"

* * *

Yukari did a headcount to make sure all of SEES was present before locking the door behind her. "All set."

Mitsuru nodded in thanks before addressing the entire team. "Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus. Our objective is to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi."

Junpei frowned. "Um, I don't get it… Is Fuuka inside the school somewhere?"

"And why at night?" Yukari added. "At midnight, this place turns into—"

Misturu nodded. "Exactly. That's how Yamagishi wandered into Tartarus."

Minato crossed his arms and Hamuko shot the boy a triumphant smirk. Nobody else noticed though so Yukari continued. "Then, ever since Fuuka got locked in the gym, she's been stuck there…?"

Mitsuru nodded and Junpei began to panic. "But, that was ten days ago! That means…" This time, Minato gave Hamuko a stern frown.

"Not necessarily," Akihiko shook his head. "We can't jump to conclusions. Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour. So, what about the rest of the day?"

Hamuko nudged her brother as Yukari considered it too. "Now that you mention it…"

"This is only a theory," Akihiko began, "but I think time may function differently with respect to Tartarus. So, even though it's been ten days for us, perhaps only ten hours have passed for her. It's possible she's still alive." The white-haired boy noticed Hamuko's wide smirk as the boy beside her let the information sink in.

Junpei's eyes widened. "Wow, ya think so!? Uh, but the Dark Hour is pretty brutal… We can barely handle an hour; how's she gonna last ten!?"

Minato nudged his sister at this as Yukari became worried. "That's true… And, even if she's still alive, we might not be able to get to her…"

The blue-haired boy let the despair slowly wash over him until Akihiko glared at the archer. "Are you just gonna let her die, then!?" His exclamation made everyone turn towards him. "I have an idea. Let's try to enter Tartarus exactly how Fuuka did. We'll go to the gym, and wait for midnight. That's the quickest way."

"Is that really gonna work…?" Yukari asked dubiously.

Mitsuru frowned at the boxer's suggestion. "Honestly, I have reservations. If something goes wrong, you could all end up lost in Tartarus too. But…"

Akihiko shook his head. "I won't stand by and do nothing if there's a chance we can save her… I'd never forgive myself. If you guys don't want to go, then I'll go by myself."

Yukari looked at him in surprise. "Senpai…?"

Mitsuru nodded her head. "Alright. We're aware of the risks, but we can't just leave her there."

The archer smiled. "I agree. And we won't know until we try."

Junpei smirked at a thought. "Cool, we get to sneak into the school!" He chuckled to himself. "In that case, I know just what to do…"

All of SEES began exiting the Student Council Room but Minato remained in his seat. Hamuko stood in front of him and prodded his forehead. "Come on. Everything will be fine," she tried to convince him. "Just _believe_."

"Hrm," Minato's frown never disappeared as he tried to muster up whatever faith he had within him to try. _Yamagishi-san… Please be alive…_

* * *

Minato checked everyone's equipment as they gathered in the command room. "Yukari, tighten the string on your bow. Junpei, Hamuko went and got you a new sword. Sanada-senpai, here's some new string for your gloves. Hamuko, where's my whetstone?" After thanking his sister, he sat down and began sharpening his sword.

Mitsuru frowned as she stared at her phone. "Hmm…"

Akihiko looked up from his gloves and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get a hold of the Chairman," she replied. Minato paused what he was doing and looked up with a frown.

Yukari shrugged. "I guess we can handle it ourselves."

"There's one problem, though," Mitsuru shook her head. "Without the Chairman's help, I'm not sure how we can get inside the school…"

Junpei smirked as if he saved the day. "No need to worry. I've got it all set to go."

"Set to go…?" Mitsuru looked at the capped boy with confusion. "An explosive?" She chuckled to herself. "Alright, I'll let you handle this."

Akihiko finished lacing his gloves and stood up. "We don't have time to waste. Let's go." The two seniors started off without them.

Hamuko and Yukari looked at Junpei curiously. Yukari finally took the bait and asked, "An explosive? For real?"

"Nah…" Junpei shook his head, slightly confused as to why the senior thought he had access to such a ridiculous method. "All I did was unlock a door…"

Satisfied with his sword's sharpness, Minato stood up and tested his weapon. "Let's hurry up and do this then."

* * *

The team stood in the middle of a hallway as they got inside with ease. Junpei's smile seemed to grow wider. "See? We got in no problem. Man, I'm a genius!"

"Is that really something to brag about?" Yukari sighed.

Mitsuru nodded, impressed with the capped boy's forward thinking. "So, you unlocked it earlier… Tres bien!"

"Oui," Akihiko agreed with a smirk before focusing on their operation. "No time for compliments. Let's go."

Yukari turned to Junpei. "What's the big deal, anyway…?"

"Tray Ben…?" The capped boy knit his eyebrows together. "What's that mean? That's not English, is it?"

"She said 'very good'," Minato sighed as he continued without them.

"Yeah, it's French!" Hamuko smiled, following her brother.

Junpei tugged on his cap. "Lousy seniors and their lousy French…"

They all gathered in Classroom 2-F to reassess their situation. Yukari looked around in their dark classroom with a frown. "Can we turn on the lights…?"

"Aww," Junpei teased. "You scared?"

"No!" the girl's face went red. "Stupei."

"Stop callin' me that!"

"Quiet," Akihiko scolded the two. "It's better if we leave 'em off. They cut the power at night anyway."

"I don't like sneaking around…" Yukari frowned.

Mitsuru dismissed the girl's comment as she came up with a plan. "First, we have to find the key to the gym. Akihiko and I will check the janitor's room. You four check the Faculty Office. After that, we'll meet in the main hallway. Got it?"

"The Faculty Office, huh…?" Junpei smirked. "Hey, maybe we'll find some test questions!" He chuckled at the thought.

"Maybe I should go to the Faculty Office, too," Akihiko frowned. "It sounds interesting."

"Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision? If so, then expect to be severely punished…"

Akihiko tensed up and Junpei shook his head frantically. "It-It was a joke! I'd never do something like that!" He nervously laughed.

Beside him, Akihiko tried to reason with her. "Come on, Mitsuru… Lighten up a little."

"Fine," Mitsuru turned towards the exit. "Let's head over to the janitor's room. Iori, you're coming with us."

The three left and Yukari sighed at the capped boy's stupidity. "Alright, let's get this over with."

The two girls carefully snuck downstairs as Minato rolled his eyes. He followed them, careful to keep his footsteps light and silent. This wasn't Tartarus so there was no need to be so cautious. As they reached the lobby, he heard footsteps so lightly descended the last few steps.

"Do you hear that?" Yukari whispered. The footsteps got closer and she grew a bit pale. "Th-there's someone else here…?"

Hamuko pulled her behind a pillar. A flashlight beam just missed Minato as he joined them. He peered around for the guard patrolling the hall and gave the girls a signal that they were in the clear.

Yukari let out a sigh of relief. "It's just a security guard…"

Hamuko looked at her friend with worry. "You're freaking out."

"No, I'm not!" Yukari's face went red. "I'm just a little nervous, that's all! Do you blame me? I mean, we did break into the school in the middle of the night. Wait a minute… That could've been one of the others. Haha, there's nothing to be afraid of, right?" She laughed some more. "Why am I laughing?"

"Let's hurry," Minato grumbled impatiently as he began walking across the lobby.

"I know…" Yukari followed behind him.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Hamuko smiled, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "Nii-san and I do."

Yukari slightly tensed up and gave her friend a light glare. "Um, of course not. We already know it's not a ghost. And besides, I'm not THAT afraid of—" Some ringing erupted from nowhere and made the girl scream. She looked down and realized it was coming from her pocket. "M-my cell phone!? Why now!?" She checked the device and groaned. "Figures… It's spam." She sighed as she put her phone away. "Sorry about that. It took me by surprise!"

Minato shook his head and glared at her. "You get scared so easily."

"Whatever," Yukari looked away from him.

Hamuko took a deep breath. "I was surprised too."

"See?" Yukari turned to the boy, glad she wasn't the only one who was surprised.

Minato rolled his eyes as he opened the door to the Faculty Office. Yukari immediately went to the board where the keys were and checked the labels. She absently tossed one to Minato.

"What does it say on this one?" she asked as she checked the other keys.

"Morgue," the boy responded with a straight face.

"What, are you trying to scare me or something? Trust me, you'll pay for that." The archer glared at Minato.

Hamuko chuckled as she took the key from her brother. "It says 'Gym'."

"Really? Let me see!" Yukari checked it for herself. "Yeah, this is it! Mind if we borrow this…?" She tucked it into her pocket. "Okay, let's go. We're supposed to meet them in the main hallway."

As they re-entered the lobby, they saw Mitsuru and the others already waiting for them. "Did you find the key?" the Student Council President asked.

"Sure did," Yukari said, handing it to her.

Junpei smirked at her. "Ya know, I heard a scream that sounded kinda familiar…" The girl ended up blushing and looking away from him. "What, you actually did? I was just kidding…"

"You wanna make somethin' of it!?" Yukari demanded.

"Keep it down," Akihiko scolded the two of them before looking towards Mitsuru.

"We'll divide into teams again. Three of you will enter Tartarus, and two of you will remain outside with me. Once the Dark Hour has begun, I'll determine Yamagishi's position."

"I'll go," Akihiko immediately volunteered. He turned towards the twins. "One of you should come, too. You can take the lead, like always."

Hamuko and Minato looked at each other before the older brother nodded his head. "Alright, I'll go."

Yukari frowned as she raised her hand. "Um, then, I'll be the third—"

"Wait a second…!" Junpei interrupted her. "Remember how I accidentally screwed up on the monorail? Gimme a chance to make up for that!"

"Oh, come on!" Yukari complained. "It's not always about YOU! Besides, you didn't 'accidentally' screw up."

Akihiko nodded at the capped boy. "Alright, Junpei, we'll give you another shot."

"Sweet! Thanks!" He smirked at Minato. "It's just us guys then!"

Akihiko noticed the glum look on Yukari's face. "What's wrong, Yukari? You don't want to stay behind with Mitsuru and Hamuko?"

"Um, n-no, it's fine," the girl quickly replied. She smiled at the red-eyed junior beside her. At least she'd have good company while the boys were gone.

Mitsuru checked her watch. "It's almost time."

* * *

Hamuko patiently waited as Mitsuru fiddled with a device on her motorcycle. _Maybe I should have been the one to go,_ she thought as Mitsuru was having trouble adjusting the frequency.

Even Yukari was beginning to get worried as they watched the redhead work. "Um…"

"We still haven't heard back from them," Mitsuru frowned. "The transceiver's sensitivity is set to high, too…"

"O-oh yeah, that girl Natsuki…" Yukari remembered the girl they left behind. "I hope she's okay at the dorm…"

"Unfortunately, no place is completely safe in the Dark Hour. But, we couldn't possibly bring her here, and one of us staying behind was out of the question."

"Yeah… I guess so…" Yukari frowned. Mitsuru said nothing else so the archer tried to fill the dead silence. "But, we're all here for Fuuka's sake—"

A crackling voice echoed through the lobby. _"Mitsuru, can you hear me?"_

The senior immediately answered the boxer. "This is Mitsuru. I've confirmed your position. You're higher up than I expected… You're barely in communication range. Is everyone alright?"

 _"Don't know… got separ…"_ Akihiko was suddenly cut off.

"Akihiko! Come in, Akihiko!"

Yukari looked at her worriedly. "Is he out of range? I'm starting to get worried…"

"Are they lost?" Hamuko stood up, concerned for her older brother, but paused when she felt a change in the atmosphere. _Huh?_ She glanced over to the Velvet Room door as the strange sensation was similar to the pull of the mysterious room. She looked around the lobby and paused when she noticed the mysterious boy from before.

He smiled at her and placed a finger to his lips. "Your brother is fine," he reassured her. "It'll just take him a while before he can catch up to everyone, that's all. You should be careful though… There is a more than one ordeal tonight…"

As he faded away, Hamuko's eyes widened as she had forgotten about the Full Moon. She picked up her naginata and seriously looked at Mitsuru. "Senpai? Can you try to scan for a Shadow? A big one, similar to what we faced on the monorail."

Yukari looked at her friend oddly. "Is something wrong?"

"Just a bad feeling I have," Hamuko tried to say with a smile. "Try not to worry about it too much."

Mitsuru nodded as she began a scan. "It may take some time considering I still need to contact Yuki and Iori. Please be patient."

"Of course," Hamuko nodded, hoping a large Shadow wouldn't attack the city tonight.

* * *

Minato opened his eyes slowly before sitting up. He got to his feet and picked up his sword. He tried looking around for Akihiko and Junpei but they were nowhere around him. He paused as his eyes landed on a smiling young boy's face. "Are you awake?" The boy circled Minato, checking to make sure the older boy was okay. "This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room," he pointed out.

"Why are you here?" Minato frowned.

The boy chuckled. "I told you, remember? I'm always with you."

Minato couldn't help but smile at that though as the boy's presence somewhat put him at ease. "Where are the others?" Minato curiously asked while looking around them.

"Don't worry," the child reassuringly smiled, "you'll see them soon." The boy stopped and frowned. "But, we don't have much time to talk," he shook his head. "Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face… You should hurry," he urgently stared up at the older boy. "She's waiting for you. You guys will need her. _You_ will need her." Minato nodded as he understood the gravity of the situation. "Okay, then… I hope we can speak again." The boy disappeared, leaving Minato to think carefully about his words.

 _More than one... Does that mean I have to rescue Yamagishi-san and fight a Shadow? Or is it more than one Shadow? No, I should focus. He said Yamagishi-san is waiting for me and I'll…_ Minato paused as he knit his eyebrows together in confusion over the boy's strange choice of words. "I'll need her?" He was shaken out of his thoughts when his transceiver spewed static.

 _"Are… you… alri—? Distance… too far. Can't provide—back up. You got s—from Akihi—"_

Minato pulled out his communicator. "Senpai? The signal's bad. Can you read me?" He shook the machine for a while before deciding to move on. He nervously traversed the convoluted hallway while doing his best to keep track of his own position. "Shit... Please don't get lost..." He let out a relieved sight when he found the stairs before noticing Mitsuru was trying to contact him again.

 _"Akihiko and… aren't… this floor…"_

Minato quickly pieced together what she was trying to say but paused when a soft voice echoed through the halls. "Who's there…? Are you human?" It was a familiar voice and Minato swore it was someone he recognized, but with the way the walls distorted the echoes and his transceiver constantly pouring static, he couldn't quite place who it belonged to.

"Hello?" The boy called out. "I'm Minato Yuki, a student of Gekkoukan High. Is someone out there?" He waited a few minutes before moving up to the next floor.

 _"What's y—curruent loca—Reply immed—"_

Minato tried to respond, but the transceiver was jammed. It might have barely connected Mitsuru to him, but it looks like it absolutely refused to let him reassure the senior that he was okay. "Come on…" he groaned while adjusting the frequency. "Don't make me take you apart here."

"Where am I…? Why am I here…? Please answer me…"

The boy paused as he called out into Tartarus once again. He was starting to get an idea of who it was calling out to him. "It's okay… You're lost, right, Yamagishi-san? This is a labyrinth of sorts, but don't worry. I'm a bit lost too but I came to save you. Please, are you there?" He waited another five minutes before going up.

As he arrived to the next floor, a voice called out to him. Minato looked up to see Junpei smiling at him. "Hey, here he is! Man, we were worried about you."

"Sorry I took so long," Minato nodded to the two. "I really wasn't sure where to go."

Akihiko shook his head. "I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again…"

"Agreed," Minato murmured while staring at their broken radios.

"Oh yeah!" Junpei looked to their leader, eyes wide. "Did you hear a voice while you were in here? Uh, kinda like—"

"Who is this…? Are you human?" The voice sounded closer than before and Minato perked his ears.

"Th-that's it!" Junpei exclaimed. "That's the voice! It sounded like it came from behind us." The capped boy and Akihiko turned around to face the hall and Minato slowly lifted his gaze. From behind a corner, a girl popped her head out.

"Y-yuki-kun!" she quietly exclaimed to herself in surprise.

Minato's blue eyes widened. "Yamagishi-san," he gently nodded in greeting. Fuuka noticed the immense relief washing over his face as he tightly gripped the sword he was carrying.

Akihiko carefully stared at the girl. "Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?"

She ran towards them and nodded as Junpei's face brightened. "Wow, you're alive! That's awesome! Never fear, Junpei's here!"

The boxer sighed in relief that they managed to find her. "I'm glad you're okay… Come with us."

"Thank you so much." Fuuka collapsed to her knees, overwhelmed with relief, but she was surprised when someone immediately knelt at her side. Looking up, she noticed it was Minato.

"You must be hungry," the blue-haired boy frowned as he dug through his supplies. "No, wait... Water. You need something to drink..."

Fuuka smiled as she accepted the can of Cielo Mist and Cutlet Sandwich from him. "Thank you, Yuki-kun."

"N-no problem..." Minato awkwardly looked away as she slowly began to eat. He couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh of relief though before looking back up at Akihiko. "I guess this is mission accomplished."

"Yeah," Akihiko nodded as he pulled out his transceiver. "Looks like we made the right decision. I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru."

Fuuka curiously looked around them. "Where are we…? I was at school, and then…"

Junpei tried to come up with a way to explain but decided he and Minato weren't really meant for that job. "Well… It's a long story. We'll explain after we get outta here." He turned back to Akihiko as the boxer shook his communicator.

"Mitsuru, can you hear me?" The senior waited for a response but shook his head in frustration. "No good. All I hear is static." He looked over to Minato. "Can't you fix it?"

"I don't have my tools," Minato responded while standing up. "But I'll see what I can do."

Junpei continued to keep an eye on Fuuka. "Oh yeah, are ya hurt? Have you run into any monsters?"

"So, there ARE strange creatures in here, then," Fuuka mused as the tall junior helped pull her up to her feet. "I've managed to avoid them so far…"

Minato looked up at that while Akihiko was surprised. "Are you serious!? How's that possible!?"

"Umm, it's hard to describe, but… I can sort of tell where they are…"

"Whaddya mean? Are you psychic?" Junpei asked.

Akihiko shook his head at the boy. "She has the same power as Mitsuru… Maybe even stronger… since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle-oriented." He pulled out an extra Evoker he had on him and offered it to the girl. "Hang on to this."

Fuuka gasped as she held the weapon. "B-but, this is…!"

"Think of it as a lucky charm," the senior smirked. "It's not really a gun." He faced down a hall as he took his transceiver back from Minato. "Alright, let's get outta here!"

Junpei followed him, but Minato didn't move. Instead, the blue-haired boy stared at Fuuka and extended out his arm. "You should go ahead of me. I need to stick in the back to watch out for danger."

"R-right," Fuuka nodded to him, uncertain about the gun she held.

Minato sensed her hesitation and gently smiled at her. "It's okay. When you're ready, just point it to your head and pull the trigger." Her eyes widened in surprise but Minato continued while shaking his head. "If you can't, that's fine. I'll be right there you if you need me."

Fuuka noticed him fidgeting with his own holstered gun and nodded. "Th-thank you, Yuki-kun."

The thin swordsman gave her a curt nod before looking towards Junpei and Akihiko. "Now, let's get going."

The four of them wandered around Tartarus for a while before they passed a wide window. Junpei stopped and stared at the full moon outside. "Whoa, check out the moon! I've never seen it so bright."

Akihiko kept moving but nodded at the boy's comment. "Some research indicates that the Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon. Of course, the same can be said for humans."

"That would explain Yuka-tan's mood swings." Junpei paused as he remembered something. "Hey, wasn't it a full moon the night we went to the monorail?"

Akihiko stopped walking. "Was it?"

"I think so," Junpei frowned. "Why?"

Akihiko immediately looked back at Minato who was glaring at the moon. "Hey, did you see the moon the night the dorm was attacked, back in April?"

"It was full," Minato responded, giving away no emotion in his voice.

"Today is the 8th… The monorail incident happened last month around the same time… And the assault on the dorm was a month before that! They were all during a full moon!" Realizing this, Akihiko pulled out his transceiver again. "Mitsuru, are you there!?"

 _"Akihiko…?"_ Mitsuru sounded as if she were preoccupied. _"Shadows—"_

Minato's eyes flashed as he heard the sounds of steel clashing against something hard. _Hamuko!?_

"Hey, can you hear me?" Akihiko yelled into the device. "Mitsuru, come in!"

 _"Be careful…"_ That was all Mitsuru said before the line went dead.

"Mitsuru!?" Akihiko's grey eyes widened in panic. "Mitsuru!"

Fuuka tensed up beside Minato and he saw that she was focusing on something. "Yamagishi-san?"

"What is this thing…?" she asked, a bit frightened. "It's much bigger than the others… and it's attacking someone…"

Akihiko bolted down the hall. "Dammit!"

"What's going on!?" Junpei asked as he stared at the boxer's back.

"It's one of THEM!" Akihiko exclaimed. "If my guess is right, they come every full moon! We have to hurry!"

Minato nodded to Fuuka and the two took off running. The blue-eyed boy tensed up as he stupidly let his guard down. "Hamuko! I'm coming!"

Junpei watched them for a while before following after them. "H-hey! Wait for me!"

* * *

Hamuko skid to a stop and frowned as she realized none of her attacks were dong a thing against the two Shadows. She looked expectantly towards the return pad but it still didn't respond. _Nii-san, where are you!?_ She spun to the side and brought her naginata down again but the weapon merely glanced off of the giant Shadow. She let out frustrated groan before making a hasty retreat.

Finally, a green glow appeared and a girl with teal hair came out. "What in the world…!?"

Mitsuru turned towards the junior but her opening resulted in one of the large Shadows grabbing her.

Akihiko returned then and he stared at the enemies in surprise. "There's TWO of em!?" He saw Mitsuru in trouble though and immediately charged forward. "Mitsuru!" He attacked the Shadow but it didn't seem to care much about his strikes.

"Ugh…" Mitsuru weakly lifted her head as she watched him try to save her. "A-Akihiko…"

Yukari fired an arrow but as it bounced off her target, the Shadow quickly knocked the archer aside. She winced as she tried to get back up. "What's going on!? Nothing's working!"

Junpei came back and the Shadow turned towards him as he just entered the battle. "Oh shit! They looked pissed!"

Minato arrived just as Hamuko was knocked to the ground. "Hamuko!" He angrily glared at the Shadow before charging towards it for harming his sister. The boy pulled out his Evoker and Fuuka watched as he unflinchingly pulled the trigger while pointing the weapon to his own head. The girl's brown eyes widened as a boy with white hair appeared to tackle into the monster. "Rargh! Orpheus!" Minato frowned when his Persona's attack glanced off the Shadow, but he managed to get to his sister and pull her out of danger. "Are you okay?"

The red-eyed girl nodded. "You're finally here," she said, relief in her voice.

"Yeah. Sorry I was late," he frowned, standing up. He was about to attack again, but something caught his attention. "What?"

Natsuki wandered into Tartarus and seemed to be in a daze. Junpei noticed as she passed him. "Hey! Isn't that…!?"

Akihiko stopped punching and watched the girl make her way towards Fuuka. "Why the hell is SHE here!?"

"F-fuuka…" the brunette absently said as she stumbled to her knees.

Hamuko winced as she pulled away from her brother. "You need to get to them," she sternly told her brother as she saw Fuuka hurrying over to Natsuki's side.

"What?" Minato looked at the brunette in surprise, but Hamuko pushed him forward.

"Hurry, Minato!"

The older brother finally understood when he saw Fuuka crossing the lobby just to reach the girl who had been bullying her days before. _Right_ , he though as his grip tightened around his sword, _I won't let another person I pulled into the Dark Hour die!_

When Fuuka finally made it to Natsuki, she knelt down to check if her classmate was okay. "Moriyama-san?"

"Wait!" Akihiko's eyes widened when he noticed how close to the Shadows the two were. "What are you doing!?"

The girl didn't pay any attention to him though as she tried to get through to Natsuki. "Please, get out of here! It's dangerous!"

Natsuki weakly smiled at her. "I… I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry…"

A Shadow moved towards Fuuka and Minato's eyes widened when he realized he wouldn't be able to make it in time. "Yamagishi-san!"

Fuuka heard him calling her and looked up to see the Shadow looming over her. Although terrified by the sight of it, she remembered the blue-haired boy's words from earlier and lifted up the Evoker.

"Wait!" Akihiko tried to get to her, but he couldn't leave Mitsuru with the Shadow. "That's not a weapon!"

"I know…!" Fuuka remembered how Minato was bravely able to summon that boy to defend Hamuko.

Akihiko watched in horror as the Shadow reeled back, lifting its sword, but Fuuka calmly put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. A new Persona summoned around her and Natsuki, encasing them in a translucent bubble, just as the strike could connect. The Shadow's attack bounced right off the protective barrier, crashing into its comrade. Both large Shadows toppled to the ground and dropped Mitsuru in the process.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko caught the falling redhead and dove out of the way of the collapsing Shadows.

"Yamagishi-san!" Minato stood in front of the girl, awed by the new Persona's sudden appearance.

 _"I am thou, and thou art I,"_ the protective figure introduced herself. _"From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Lucia, patron saint of the blind..."_

"Lucia...?" Minato frowned to himself as he realized now was not the time to get caught up in his random knowledge of historical figures. He turned his back towards Fuuka in order to protect her against the fallen Shadows before focusing his attention on the recovering seniors. "Senpai! Are you okay?"

Mitsuru carefully got up, using Akihiko for support. "I'm alright," she reassured the team. "Be careful… Normal attacks won't work on these Shadows. And all of our instruments have been destroyed…"

"Just stay still!" Akihiko scolded her as he began to treat her wounds. "Besides…" he looked towards Fuuka.

 _"I can see…"_ Fuuka's voice echoed through the lobby.

 _No, that's not it_ , Minato realized. _She's speaking directly into my mind._

"Is that the voice…!?" Mitsuru wondered but she watched as Fuuka focused on the Shadows.

 _"I… I can sense these monsters' weaknesses, somehow…"_

Junpei was surprised by her ability. "For real!?"

"Just as I thought," Akihiko nodded. "Mitsuru, let her take your place."

The redhead nodded. "I get it now. Yamagishi, can you assist the others?"

Fuuka watched as Minato imploringly looked back at her with a fiery blue gaze. She nodded to him in determination as she didn't have to think twice about accepting his unspoken request. _"I'll do my best!"_

Minato cracked a smirk at that before focusing his attention on the enemies standing before them. "Then let's give it our all!"

"Stay back, Mitsuru!" Akihiko prepared himself for battle. "We'll take care of this!"

Minato quickly gathered the positions of himself, Akihiko, Junpei, and Fuuka. They were completely spread out throughout Tartarus's lobby, but that's fine. After he drew the Shadows away from Lucia, they'd be able to use the spacious area to their advantage. "Yamagishi-san, please watch over us!" he cried out while quickly darting forward towards the Shadows.

 _"I'll try and find out the enemy's weakness. Just let me know when."_

"Understood," Minato nodded as he signaled for Junpei and Akihiko to join him. "Let's go!" He engaged the Shadow closest to him and cast a look towards Fuuka. "Yamagishi-san!"

He didn't even have to say it and the girl began working on uncovering its weaknesses. _"This one is weak to fire!"_

"Junpei! Light it up!" Minato ordered.

"Roger! Hermes!"

"Come on, Orpheus!"

Fuuka watched as the boy easily called his Persona. She sensed the other Shadow moving though. _"Yuki-kun, behind you!"_

Thanks to her warning, Minato launched himself to his right, dodging the other Shadow's rigid sword. "Yamagishi-san!"

 _"That one is weak to strike attacks!"_

"Senpai!"

"Already on it!" Akihiko punched the lights out of the Emperor Shadow. He got out of the way as Minato sent Orpheus to bash the Shadow's skull in with his lyre.

 _"Something's happening!"_ Fuuka gasped as the two Shadows glowed. _"They're changing their weakness!"_

"Please scan them again for us, Yamagishi-san," Minato nodded, swinging his sword at the Emperor. He was surprised when the Shadow fell rather easily. "Just scan the Empress!"

 _"The Empress is weak to lightning!"_

Akihiko and Junpei swapped targets. "Junpei!"

"Alright, Senpai!"

Minato remained between the two Shadows, swapping targets every so often to help whoever was dealing with that particular Shadow. With Fuuka constantly supplying them with information, Minato felt victory was close at hand. The battle ended as Akihiko smashed his fist through the Emperor's chest plate and Minato used Forneus to impale the Empress with ice.

Out of breath, Minato collapsed to a knee. He looked over towards Fuuka with concern and saw she was looking around for more enemies. _"Are there more of them?"_

"Don't worry," Akihiko shook his head. "It's over."

Natsuki stared at Fuuka with wide eyes as the protective bubble around them disappeared. "Fuuka… You…"

"A-are you alright…?" The girl knelt down beside her. She vaguely sensed Minato approaching their side.

"Yeah…" Natsuki shakily nodded her head.

"Thank goodness…" Fuuka smiled at the brunette before collapsing. Minato quickly caught the girl and gently let her rest against him.

"Yamagishi-san?" He looked down at her and noticed she was still smiling gently as she slept.

"Fuuka!?" Natsuki stared at the girl worriedly.

"It's alright," Mitsuru reassured the two. "She's just exhausted."

Natsuki began tearing up. "Fuuka… Fuuka, I…"

Minato looked up at her gently. "It's okay, Moriyama," he spoke softly. "She's fine. You're both safe now."

Akihiko turned away to give them some space but gave Mitsuru a serious frown. "Where did these two Shadows come from?"

Hamuko and Yukari quickly returned to Mitsuru's side as the redhead answered. "From somewhere outside of Tartarus, just like before… If Arisato hadn't asked for a scan, the three of us would have been in worse condition."

"I see…" Akihiko looked back at Minato before turning towards Hamuko. "So you two already knew about those Full Moon Shadows?"

Hamuko shook her head. "We knew about the Full Moon, but I didn't expect there to be two." Akihiko nodded as this was the first time two came at once.

Yukari looked over to the crying Natsuki and the Hellhound who was trying to console her. Junpei was even going over to help him. Yukari smiled as the two boys did their best but as she realized something, she looked over to the older students in concern. "Um, what are we gonna do about Natsuki? She saw the Dark Hour, and the Shadows…"

"Don't worry," Akihiko shook his head. "She's not like us, so she won't remember any of it. The good news is, she didn't fall victim to the Shadows, even though she obviously heard their call. She should be safe from now on."

"But, that means she'll forget Fuuka saved her life, right?" Yukari frowned. "That doesn't seem fair…"

"Actually," Mitsuru smirked, looking up at the crying girl. "I don't think it'll matter."

Minato smiled softly at the sleeping girl. "Yamagishi-san really is too kind. She'll forgive you. She saved us, after all," he pointed out to Natsuki.

Natsuki nodded her head as she wiped up her tears. "I'm sorry, Fuuka… I'm so sorry…"

"Yeah," Hamuko agreed with the senior. "I think she's learned her lesson." She smiled too as her gaze shifted from Natsuki to Minato. The guilt and fear that had plagued him for the past few days seemed to have totally vanished thanks to their successful rescue.

She closed her eyes as a white light flashed before her, telling her their Fool Arcana Social Link had become more powerful. With everything settled, she walked over to her brother's side and helped him lift the sleeping Fuuka into his arms. Mitsuru had Akihiko and Junpei assist with Natsuki and soon, they were all ready to leave Tartarus. This still didn't mean their work was finished however. Although all of SEES had a long and arduous night, there was still much to be done to make sure both girls they rescued were completely safe from the dangers of the Dark Hour.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"It's the Hellhound!" A boy quickly escaped from the room as Junpei peered into the neighboring classroom.

Minato was busy writing up another citation with the same bored expression on his face. Junpei smirked as he backed out of the doorframe and returned to their classroom. Hamuko was eating lunch with Yukari and waved to him as he approached them. "Junpei! What's with that smile?"

"Your brother's got half the school afraid of him."

"No kidding," Yukari laughed. "You know, there were rumors that Mitsuru-senpai used to be a part of the Disciplinary Committee and she was the same."

"Really?" Hamuko bounced in her seat from curiosity. "Did her gaze fill the students with the dread of Death too? Did the flames of Hell wrap around her as she stalked the halls looking for her next victim?"

"You make me sound like I _want_ to deal with troublemakers," Minato sighed as he suddenly plopped down beside Junpei. "What're we talking about?"

Junpei smirked at the boy. "Mitsuru-senpai's Disciplinary Committee days. I think that was two years ago since last year she was VP. I remember those rumors."

"Oh, was she like me?" Minato took a sip of water from a water bottle. "Did the entire school burn with dread with just her presence alone?"

Yukari shook her head. "No… It was more like ice followed her path and froze the hearts of any student in her way."

"Oh," Hamuko understood with a smile. "Like an Empress of Ice! I can totally see that."

"Her 'executions' are actually pretty infamous, actually," Yukari frowned.

Minato sputtered a bit and some water went down the wrong way. He coughed violently and tried to calm down. "Executions?" His face went pale and he started to shake.

"Nii-san? Are you okay?" Hamuko placed a hand on his forehead.

"Y-yeah! Hey, try not to give Kirijo-senpai trouble, okay?" Minato stood up and shivered. "The vendor is serving hot tea, right? I'll be right back."

"What's the deal with him?" Junpei raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired boy as he left. "I've seen him tear the first-years apart by just looking at them."

"Maybe Mitsuru-senpai's executions aren't just a rumor?" Hamuko shrugged.

At that point, Akihiko came in. "Hey, has anyone seen Minato? He asked me for the list of names in the Boxing Team."

"He's downstairs, but I can pass it on to him, Senpai," Hamuko smiled.

Junpei smiled at the opportunity to ask Akihiko something. "Hey, Senpai. You've known Mitsuru-senpai for a long time, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," the older boy frowned. "Why?"

"We were wondering if you've ever seen Mitsuru-senpai's Execution before," Hamuko innocently answered.

The older boy froze up. "Um… An Execution…? S-sorry, but I'm late for something… Maybe ask your brother. The vendor's selling hot tea today, right?"

The three juniors looked to each other oddly. Mitsuru's wrath was something to be feared after all if she could get the rowdy boxer and difficult junior to listen to her.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** The Empress and Emperor Shadows... They're definitely the easiest bosses in the entire game. I didn't even know about Paradigm Shift until a while ago because I always killed them before they could use it. You know, I love annoying the hell out of Yukari when going to look for the key. I stop by every bathroom and check every door. It's not like I'm gonna get penalized for it. And Minato probably has bladder and/or bowel problems... That's the only way I can explain why he tends to become 'Great' after using the bathroom...


	15. Recruitment

**Author's Notes:** Nothing much to say here. Well... at least not about the chapter. I'm more kinda just obsessed with the new PV released for Digimon Adventure tri for the song "Boku ni Totte" by Knife of Day. Stupid angsty Yamato... but that Yamato is the best Yamato... I really like the song and I've been listening to it at least every other hour...

* * *

~9 JUNE 2009~

Minato yawned as he followed Hamuko to school. The younger twin frowned at him. "You were really worried about her, weren't you, nii-san? You didn't come back from the hospital until nearly two in the morning."

"Senpai thought I should get a check-up too," Minato rubbed his eyes. "Blood work, chest examination… The usual stuff. The results were good though. My hematocrit levels are normal and lungs are clear."

"That's good," Hamuko nodded. "You haven't been fainting as much this year," she noticed.

"Maybe it's because I'm getting a more regular sleeping schedule," he stifled another yawn. "Oh, I'm going to be visiting the hospital again after class today. It's a follow-up exam."

"Alright. Just don't cause the doctor too much trouble," Hamuko reminded him. She smiled as Yukari met them at the gate. "Morning!"

"Hey," she greeted them. She frowned as she considered last night. "I was thinking… Do you think Mitsuru-senpai saved Fuuka because it was the right thing to do? Or was it just because she's a Persona-user and we need her…?"

The twins looked to each other before Hamuko answered. "For the right reasons."

"I-I guess so," Yukari looked towards Minato and saw that he couldn't come up with an answer. "So, you think so too?"

Minato frowned to himself. "It doesn't matter what I think. It only matters that Yamagishi-san is safe and we did what we could. What happens afterwards isn't up to us."

Yukari nodded. "Well, whether or not she joins is up to her… Sorry to bring this up out of the blue."

"It's alright," Hamuko reassured her. "We're all still thinking about last night."

"Yeah," Minato pensively frowned. "It'd be great if Yamagishi-san did join us though. I..." he paused for a moment before quickly correcting himself, "We need her."

* * *

Minato buttoned up his shirt as he got the doctor's clearance. Mitsuru nodded to him as she was there to observe the results herself. "Very well. It seems that I'll be able to allow you to continue leading SEES after all."

"Thanks," Minato nodded to her while straightening out his uniform. "Oh, by the way, Senpai... Would it possible for me to check on Yamagishi-san?"

"She hasn't woken yet, but I've already given the nurse a list of contacts permitted into Yamagishi's room. As field leader, I added your name to the visiting list just in case." Mitsuru looked down at all of the various charts she just received. "I intend to drop by later, but you're welcome to do so now if you wish."

"If you'll excuse me then, Senpai," the boy bowed before heading to the Fuuka's room. He lightly knocked to let whoever was inside to know he was entering and after waiting a few seconds, he let himself in. "Sorry to intrude," he politely said out of habit. He hadn't really expected anyone to be awake in the room, but he paused when he noticed Natsuki was present in the bed right next to Fuuka's.

Hearing the boy's voice, Natsuki looked up from her magazine in surprise. "Oh, you're..."

"Minato Yuki," the boy introduced himself with a curt bow. "I'm from Class 2-F."

"Right, you're the Hellhound." She awkwardly looked away.

"That's one way to see me," Minato shifted as he too focused on something else. He cleared his throat before looking back at the brunette. "Are you doing well?"

"Y-yeah," Natsuki looked at him, a bit surprised. "The nurse says I'll be discharged soon, but I wanted to stay a little longer." She glanced over to Fuuka beside her. "Um…"

Minato shook his head. "Don't worry. She's fine. It's okay for you to leave early. I'll be here to watch over her."

The girl gave him a dubious expression. "I want to stay…" Natsuki paused and smiled at Fuuka. "I don't really remember what happened last night, but I feel like I owe her something. It feels a bit like a dream where I know something happened, but I can't seem to recall it."

"That's okay," Minato shrugged. "Even if you can't remember in your mind, I'm sure your heart remembers. That's why you feel this way."

"You think so?"

"I know it," the boy said with a certain nod. "If your heart didn't remember, I don't think we'd be having this conversation."

Natsuki stared at the boy's serious face. "You're not one to beat around the bush, huh?"

"If I sounded rude, I apologize," the blue-haired boy frowned.

"No, it's fine. I thought you were just a by-the-book gumshoe-wannabe, but you're actually pretty nice. You helped Fuuka a few times before too…"

"What are you getting at?" the boy tilted his head to the side.

"Nothing," the girl giggled to herself. "I guess I'll go home then," Natsuki smiled. "I wanted to be here when Fuuka wakes up, but I guess I'll wait for her at school. I really want to apologize to her too but I'm not quite sure how to go about that quite yet."

"Just be her friend," Minato absently answered. He didn't quite know what it was that he wanted to say, but he understood how the girl felt. It was exactly the same as how he felt too after all, so even amidst his uncertainty, he did his best to find the words to help. "If you reach out to her," he seriously frowned while staring at Fuuka's form, "I'm sure it'll be fine. Yamagishi-san will forgive you. I'm sure of it."

Natsuki frowned at the boy's awkward attempt at giving her advice, but judging by how he was looking at Fuuka, she figured he must have had something he had to apologize for too. "Yeah," Natsuki nodded as she got up from the hospital bed. "I guess I should go then. I was ready for a while…" She slipped on her shoes as she grabbed her personal items. "I guess I'll leave Fuuka to you then."

"Take care of yourself, Moriyama-san," Minato nodded, lifting his gaze towards her.

"Um…" The girl paused as she looked back at the blue-eyed boy. "Thanks. I'm sure Fuuka would be a lot happier to see you when she wakes up too." The boy gave her a confused look which made her giggle. "N-never mind. I'll see you around school."

Minato waved goodbye before returning his attention to the sleeping girl. He gently smiled as he slipped his headphones on. He searched through his tracklist for a random song and sat back in his seat. He relaxed a little as he decided to take a pseudo-nap as he hummed along to the music.

 _"Like a song of spring~ Loud and clear~ Ringing in my ears~ The beating of my heart~"_ With his eyes closed, Minato didn't notice the girl slightly stir as he continued to softly hum to himself. _"But whatever it said~ I'd always joke that this winter's made for a lifetime~"_ Fuuka slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. She was surprised to see the blue-haired boy, sitting beside her as he intently listened to his headphones. "Heard another heart~," Minato mumbled to himself, "Sing of spring~" He gently smiled as he opened his eyes, hoping he wasn't disturbing the sleeping patient. When he noticed Fuuka staring back at him, his face went red. "Oh!" He pulled his headphones down. "Um… Sorry. Were you awake long?"

Fuuka giggled a bit. "No, I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Oh, no… I thought I was disturbing you," Minato nervously chuckled to himself. The two sat in awkward silence for a while before the boy shook his head. "Um… Are you all right? You've been asleep since last night. When Hamuko and I awoke to our Personas, we were out for a week. Do you need more rest?"

The teal-haired girl shook her head. "No, I feel fine." She curiously tilted her head to side. "What's a Persona?"

Minato peered outside the room before reaching into his bag and pulling out his Evoker. "It's what you summoned last night. A Persona is a mask of sorts, one you put on during hardships. It's like a manifestation of your psyche," he recalled Igor telling him. "Yours is Lucia, Christian patron saint of the blind. Despite being blinded for her faith, she was still able to see and prophesy. I guess that's similar to what you did last night, helping us fight those Shadows. You really got us out of a tough situation."

Fuuka blushed and shook her head. "No, I wasn't that amazing. You were the one to defeat those creatures—Shadows—after all."

"No, really, Yamagishi-san," the blue-eyed boy looked into her eyes with a serious gaze. "I wouldn't have been able to fight those two without your help." He gratefully nodded his head. "So thank you."

"Yuki-kun…" Fuuka lost herself in the depth of his blue eyes. She nodded as she accepted his praise. After a while though, she noticed his expression change to one of sadness and regret as he turned his head away from her.

"That being said, I suppose I also should apologize for dragging you into this mess," he hung his head. "That day on the roof, I wanted to see how you were doing. I really wanted to speak with you about joining SEES, but I panicked when I saw…" He faltered a bit before shaking his head. "No… I shouldn't say what I saw. It's not a very pleasant topic for me to discuss, but what I saw made me scared. It made me think I put you in danger so my only thought then was to escape from there. Maybe if I got far enough away, you'd be safe. It turns out I was only selfishly running away and because of that, you were locked in Tartarus for ten days without me knowing. For that, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Yuki-kun!" Fuuka didn't like the dark expression he wore. "I… I shouldn't have run away when you first asked to meet with me on the day the exam results were released." The girl smiled sadly at him. "I had been afraid you had wanted to speak to me about something else."

"You were trying to tell me on the roof though, right?" Minato slowly lifted his gaze. "You wanted to introduce yourself to me." The girl nodded to him and the boy wryly smirked to himself. "Yeah, we never did properly introduce ourselves." He stood to his feet and extended his hand. "I'm Minato Yuki from Class 2-F. It's nice to finally meet you."

Fuuka smiled as she shook it. "I'm Fuuka Yamagishi from Class 2-E. Nice to meet you too, Yuki-kun."

Finally satisfied that he properly introduced himself, Minato slipped his hands into his pockets. "You don't have to be so formal with me, Yamagishi-san. It's okay for you to call me by my first name."

"Alright, Minato-kun," Fuuka smiled as she found herself saying his name with ease. "It wouldn't feel right to have you be formal to me in return though, so please, call me Fuuka."

"If you insist, Fuuka," Minato smiled as her name rolled off his tongue. "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I really do like your name. It suits you."

The girl's face went red. "Huh? I-it's just a name!"

The boy tilted his head to the side. "It's simple, but there's a lot that can be interpreted from such a name. Much better than Minato Yuki." He nodded as if agreeing with himself.

"Really? What are the characters for your name?" Fuuka curiously asked.

"Harbor of courage," he replied with frown. "It really doesn't suit me."

"I think it does," the girl ended up saying. She became embarrassed, but she didn't retract her statement.

"Huh?" Minato stared at her oddly before his cheeks became warm. "Well, sometimes I don't think so, but thanks…" The two enjoyed each other's company before the boy sensed his phone vibrating in his pocket. His ringtone began to play and he checked to see who it was. "It's Hamuko," he said to Fuuka as he gave her an apologetic smile. "I'd better take this."

"Of course," Fuuka said, hiding her frown from the boy as he slightly turned away.

"Hello?" Minato looked out the window. "I'm still at the hospital. No, my checkup finished a while ago. Kirijo-senpai was there to ensure I sat through it all. Well, I decided to…" His face slightly became red as he looked over to Fuuka. "Hey, it's not like that. I just wanted to check on her. Y-yeah, she's awake. We were just talking." The boy sighed as he rolled his eyes. "No, I don't want you coming over. If you do, it's just going to give me a headache." He groaned as massaged the bridge of his nose. "No, we're _fine_. Stop worrying so much. Even if I do collapse, I'm in a hospital, remember?" Minato winced as he pulled his phone away from his ear. "I-it was a joke! Sort of… Besides, Senpai just gave me the all-clear and you think I'm going to just faint? Well, if Sanada-senpai is also coming over later, you and Junpei had better not get into trouble in the dorm. Right. I'll let her know. See you later." The blue-haired boy let out a sigh as he hung up. He gave Fuuka a smile. "Hamuko says hi and to tell you to take good care of me for her." The boy shook his head and sighed. "Honestly... she knows I can take care of myself, so what's with the outlandish request?"

Fuuka was a bit jealous of the red-eyed girl. "She's just worried. Your girlfriend must care about you a lot."

"Girlfriend?" Minato knit his eyebrows together. "Is that rumor still going around? Hamuko's my sister. We're twins."

"Oh! I d-didn't know!" Fuuka was surprised by that, but for some reason, she was also relieved. Confused about something, the girl studied the boy as he crossed his arms. "Minato-kun?" He nodded to her. "Why don't you have the same last names?"

Not expecting the question, Minato's hand reached for the back of his head. "That's a bit complicated…"

"Oh, I didn't mean to pry," Fuuka tensed up in alarm. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me."

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. I don't actually mind answering. It's just... rare for people to ask." He tried to come up with a suitable place to begin. "Hamuko and I lost our parents in a car accident when we were little." He frowned at the hazy memory because although it felt true, he didn't quite think it was exactly correct. "Our living arrangements were rather strange because our father's family wanted us to return to them, but I was extremely sickly and a hospital that could properly treat me was difficult to find. As for our mother's side, she was also an orphan who had been adopted by the Arisato family. We were originally supposed to live with our grandfather, but since I was always being moved around, Hamuko insisted on always coming with me. We lived with the Arisato for a while and they quickly took my sister in, changing her name in the progress, but we've never stayed in one place for more than a year so when we were shuffled to another relative, Hamuko never bothered to change her last name back. As for me, Grandfather is extremely superstitious so as a sign of respect for our late mother, he had me take on her maiden name Yuki so that I'd become stronger."

"Oh, I know that superstition!" Fuuka nodded at the boy. "By giving you a strong name, you'd eventually grow into it."

"That's right," Minato smiled. "To tie it back to what we were discussing before, it's another reason I like your name so much. It's simple, but has a sort of refined elegance to it. Much like Kirijo-senpai's name."

"Am I interrupting something, Yuki?" The boy tensed as the mentioned redhead entered the room.

"Senpai!" Minato straightened up. "Not at all. Fuuka and I were just having a conversation of names."

"Ah, so you are awake," Mitsuru nodded towards the girl in bed. "Akihiko will be here soon," she said to Minato. "If you feel the need to return to the dorm, you may do so."

"No, I would like to stay," Minato nodded. "I should be here to help explain SEES to her. I already told her a little about Personas and Shadows."

"Excellent. This will make things go a bit faster."

Fuuka became worried but Minato gave her a reassuring smile. "Sorry you have to go through this right after you woke up. But this is what I wanted to speak to you about before your disappearance. Don't worry. I'll be here if you need me."

The girl gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Minato-kun."

Akihiko closed the door as he came in. "Alright, we're set. I managed to get the doctor to contact your parents," he nodded at Fuuka. "What we're about to discuss here is confidential though, so you won't be able to see them until tomorrow. I hope you're okay with that."

"No, that's fine," Fuuka shook her head.

"Then let's begin," Mitsuru nodded.

* * *

~11 JUNE 2009~

Hamuko saw less and less of her brother that week. In the morning, she'd wake up to find him gone, already on his way to the hospital to visit Fuuka before heading to school. During the Lunch break, he'd immediately head over to the Faculty Office to help Mitsuru sort out Fuuka's files. Sometimes, she'd find him sternly speaking with Ekoda as he delivered messages to him from the Student Council President herself. After school, he'd quickly leave without another word, not even hiding the fact that we was once again on his way to the hospital.

The red-eyed girl smiled at his obvious crush. The boy might not have realized it, but there's no way the introverted twin would ever go this far for just anybody. Even if it were Yukari or Mitsuru or even Hamuko in the hospital instead of Fuuka, Minato would have been more covert. "Subtlety," he once told her, "is something you need more of, Hamuko. You'll wear yourself out always worrying about others. Especially with the way you're always bouncing around, trying to fix everyone's problems."

"But it's better than keeping it pent up like you, nii-san," she would scold him in return.

"Hey, you're lucky I'm around in case you overexert yourself. You worrying about me just makes me more worried about you," he shook his head.

"That almost made no sense," Hamuko smiled at him. "But I get what you're saying."

"Good, that's one less thing for me to worry about," he sighed.

Hamuko laughed fondly at that memory. "What would nii-san say now, I wonder?"

Yukari turned to her. "Huh? About what?"

"Nothing, just remembering something we used to argue about," the red-eyed girl shook her head.

"Where is your brother anyways?" Junpei asked, noticing that his seating partner was gone. "We've barely hung out all week."

"Probably at the hospital," Hamuko shrugged. "He's been visiting Fuuka everyday for the past week."

"What?" Junpei frowned. "That sneaky—" He shook his head and let it go. "Well, I guess he has his reasons."

"He's just worried about her," Yukari sighed. "Plus, Mitsuru-senpai okayed his visits since Fuuka seems completely at ease around him. It's best if he were the one explaining things to her anyway." She paused when their phones chimed at the same time. "Huh?"

Hamuko took hers out and noticed a new text from Akihiko. _"Fuuka is being released from the hospital. We'll talk to her this evening. Come to the command room as soon as you get back."_

She looked to the other two juniors with a smile. "Well, I guess it's finally our chance to see how she's doing!"

* * *

"Hey, take it easy," Minato gently smiled at Fuuka as she was beginning to get worried over the thought of meeting all of the SEES members. "Everyone will be happy to see you."

"Minato's right," Ikutsuki said as he entered. "Just take a deep breath."

Minato shifted in discomfort as he watched the man move about the room and Fuuka noticed. "Minato-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no," the boy shook his head. "It's n-nothing." He heard the skeleton-faced joker laugh at him.

When everyone was finally present, Ikutsuki nodded to Fuuka. "You're Fuuka Yamagishi, right?"

The girl quickly stood up and bowed to the team. "Y-yes."

The man chuckled. "Relax, there's no need to be nervous. Why don't you have a seat?" She gratefully smiled and sat back down. The Chairman turned to the rest of the team with a nod. "Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth. I also wanted to let you know… The three girls have all regained consciousness."

"What a relief…" Fuuka sighed.

"From what I understand," Ikutsuki continued, "they each came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave. They were attacked by Shadows near the gate, as the Dark Hour began… However, the facts became twisted because of rumors concerning a ghost story."

Yukari nodded as she crossed her arms. "I knew right from the beginning that it wasn't a ghost."

"I told you," Minato rolled his eyes and groaned, "That was obvious from the beginning."

Beside him, he noticed Fuuka sadly look down. "It's all my fault."

Yukari looked at her in surprise. "Are you kidding!? You were the victim!"

"But, I made so many people worry…"

Hamuko sternly glanced at her brother and his face burned a bit. Yukari placed a hand on Fuuka's shoulder. "Hey, don't think like that…"

Mitsuru stood before the teal-haired girl. "We could have lost that fight if you weren't there. You saved our lives. You should feel good about yourself. You have a special power that you can use to help others."

"A special power…?" The junior looked up to her senior before she realized the redhead was referring to the ability she used.

"We call it 'Persona'," Mitsuru nodded. "You could be a tremendous help to us. Will you lend us your strength?"

Fuuka looked at the other students in the room before settling on the boy beside her. Minato's calm gaze helped to put her at ease as she cautiously turned back to Mitsuru. "Are you asking me to join you…?" The senior nodded. "Mitsuru-senpai…" Fuuka looked over to Akihiko standing behind the redhead and the boy also nodded.

"You know," Yukari nervously spoke up. "We're not trying to pressure you, so if you need some time to think about it…"

Fuuka shook her head and stood up. "I'll do it. I'll help you!"

Surprised by how quickly she made her decision, Yukari looked at her oddly. "A-are you sure!? If you join, you'll have to live here…"

"That's fine," Fuuka nodded. "I'd rather live here than at home anyway…" She wryly smiled at Minato who only responded with a confused frown.

Mitsuru slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding. "We really appreciate this. We'll have the school talk to your parents, to resolve any issues, although Yuki already took care of most of it."

Surprised, the teal-haired girl smiled at Minato. "Thank you."

The blue-eyed boy turned away out of embarrassment. "I just wanted things to go smoothly. That's all."

Yukari shook her head. "Wait a minute. Aren't we dragging her into this a bit fast?"

"Um, it's okay, really…" Fuuka tried to convince the brunette. "I mean… it'll be nice to have two other girls in my grade around, too…" Fuuka smiled at both her and Hamuko.

The red-eyed girl smirked. "Remember—I'm your senpai!"

Fuuka's eyes widened. "Huh? Oh, that's right! I'm sorry, I…"

Minato groaned. "Hey, give her a break, Hamuko."

Yukari wore a small smile. "Um, she was kidding…"

Satisfied that everything was taken care of, Ikutsuki redirected their conversation to their second order of business. "Now, then… Those special Shadows showed up again. We still don't know where they're coming from. But Akihiko is right about one thing… Their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration from now on."

Junpei smirked at that. "So, they're kinda like werewolves then, huh?"

Akihiko pressed his fists together. "It's a big advantage for us to know when to expect them. Now, on the day of the fight, we'll be ready to get in the ring."

Yukari frowned to herself as she and the twins gave each other a look of concern. The blue-haired junior straightened up in his seat as he checked the time. "Well, if that's all," he nodded his head towards their newest member, "I guess we should get you home, Fuuka."

Mitsuru nodded. "Akihiko and I will accompany you. As I said before, the school will speak with them to resolve any issues, but we must speak to your parents about the situation itself."

"Yeah, normal people don't know about the Dark Hour, but we'll have to try to convince them to let Fuuka to stay with us," Akihiko nodded.

"Will you be coming along, Yuki?" The redhead asked the junior, although she guessed that he would.

"Of course," Minato nodded.

"It's settled then," Ikutsuki said with his usual smile. "We'll let the three of them take care of things. For the rest of you, this meeting is over. Good work, everyone."

Junpei and Yukari left the room as the two seniors began discussing something with Chairman. Hamuko looked to the remaining juniors worriedly but Fuuka simply gave the brunette a shy smile. "Hello, Arisato-san. You and Minato-kun have done so much for me."

The younger twin lightly laughed. "Hey, it's not right if you're formal with me but not my brother. Hamuko's fine." She tilted her head towards her older brother. "It's actually weird for my brother to be this active though."

"Logistics is my specialty," Minato frowned as he crossed his arms. "Besides, I never properly thanked Fuuka for helping me when I collapsed."

The girl blushed. "No, it's completely fine. You saved me in Tartarus."

"Well, please continue to take care of my brother, Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko cheerily said, hoping to make her brother even more embarrassed. Her smirk only grew when Minato and Fuuka quickly looked away from each other, both wearing the same shy smile on their faces.

* * *

Fuuka lowered her gaze as she felt her father's angry gaze on her. Gathering up a bit of courage, she lifted her eyes towards her mother but saw the woman just frown at her. The girl tried to shrink into herself, but Minato's unwavering presence beside her urged her to go forward.

Before them, Mitsuru politely bowed her head. "Good evening, Mr. Yamagishi. I am Mitsuru Kirijo, the Student Council President of Gekkoukan." She looked over to the white-haired boy beside her. "This is Akihiko Sanada, another senior." She turned and nodded to the junior behind her. "And this is Minato Yuki, a junior. The three of us belong to Iwatodai Dormitory and we have important business to discuss with you regarding your daughter."

The man's dark brown eyes narrowed on his daughter as he let the students into his home. "Please, come in."

As he entered the building, Minato studied the house curiously and noticed the various potted plants decorating the entrance. Each room had at least two flower arrangements decorating them and they gave the home a rather sweet floral scent. It wasn't too overwhelming and Minato felt himself relax a bit.

He continued to follow the others into the dining room where they were directed to the long table. As everyone settled into their seats, Mr. Yamagishi immediately looked to Fuuka. "Get our guests something to drink," he roughly told her.

The girl obediently nodded and stood up. Minato made a face as he made a move to help her, but Mitsuru sternly frowned at him to ensure the boy stayed put. He was a guest here after all and it wasn't his place to get involved with their family dynamic, no matter how he felt about the situation. The blue-eyed boy noticed the older girl shared his discomfort too though as Fuuka and her mother set out tea for them.

After giving his guests a few seconds to make themselves comfortable, Mr. Yamagishi put on a serious frown before addressing Mitsuru. "So what kind of trouble did my daughter bring that warrants your involvement, Miss Kirijo?"

"As you know," Mitsuru began, not at all intimidated by the task at hand, "your daughter had been missing since the 29th of May. I already spoke with Ekoda, and it seems that you agreed to not report her disappearance to the police."

"Ekoda-san had told us that in doing so, this incident would have been marked into her school records. As her father, I could not allow such an event ruin her chances of going to a good university after she graduates. I was sure she'd return eventually. After all, she selfishly ran off on her own."

Minato shook his head. "I think you are mistaken, sir," he calmly stated. Remembering the cover story Mitsuru setup for them before they arrived, he made sure to avoid the topic of Shadows and the Dark Hour. "Fuuka had been the victim of bullying at school. An incident occurred between her and her tormentors that directly led into her disappearance. After an extensive investigation, we were able to locate her whereabouts."

"An investigation?" Fuuka's mother eyed the blue-haired boy oddly.

Akihiko nodded his head. "This brings us to why Minato and I are here. As you can guess, Iwatodai Dorm isn't like the normal dormitories. For one thing, it's co-ed. Another unique point is that all of us belong to the club known to the school as the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—otherwise known as SEES for short."

"SEES?" The lady finally took her seat and Minato noticed how much she resembled the girl beside him. "I don't think I'm familiar with such a school club."

"I'm not surprised as our activities extend beyond the school campus itself," Mitsuru explained. "The club exists to uphold the school's reputation with the city by aiding law enforcement, public health officials, and doing whatever else we must to protect our students. Our operations range from performing investigations to checking up on troubled students. Our members have unique skill sets that are imperative for our work. In fact, it was thanks to both Yuki and Akihiko that we were able to locate your daughter's whereabouts."

"I see," the man studied Minato's calm face. "Well, thank you for your hard work."

"We were just doing our job," Minato nodded. "But during our investigation, we noticed Fuuka display an ability we currently lack but imperatively need. For this reason, we wish to have her join us."

"What?" The woman across from him looked at her daughter in alarm. "Will this mean she will be moving into the dorm?"

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "By keeping the members together, we are all given the chance to build upon our teamwork and minimize delays to our deployment, ensuring our operations and investigations go smoothly. I understand if you have concerns, but being a co-ed dorm, we have tighter regulations compared to other buildings. The boys are restricted to the second floor while the girls live on the third. There is a shared kitchen and dining area on the first floor so you needn't worry about that."

"I assume most of your activities occur at night?" The brown-eyed man frowned at Akihiko.

"Yes," the boxer nodded. "That's the time we are all free to get together and have the greatest possible mobility around the city. City officials are aware of our movements so we have already been given special pardons for our nightly activities."

"Won't that get in the way of her studies?" Mrs. Yamagishi frowned at Minato as the boy didn't seem very studious.

Misturu shook her head and reassured her. "As the one in charge of the club, I set the schedule for when activities are allowed. Of course, we are all students first and foremost so I ensure everyone has enough time for their studies, especially when exams are imminent. In fact, I understand that Yamagishi herself is an honor student. This is an excellent chance for her to meet with others in her grade to study together. And if she needs it, as seniors, Akihiko and I are available to give them aid. If you doubt our abilities, here are the results of the first Midterm." She took out a folder and pulled out a paper and handed it to both adults. "I have highlighted the names of our members. Although we number only a few, I assure you, we are all quite capable."

Fuuka was able to see all of the neon markings from her seat and quickly spotted Minato's name at the top of the list, followed by Hamuko's. She frowned as she knew her name wasn't even in the top ten but hopefully her parents would trust her enough to move into the dorm. Anything would be better than the suffocating atmosphere of her home.

"If you are also concerned over expenses," Mitsuru added, "it's already been covered. All students at the dorm have been given a scholarship from the Kirijo Group. As you can see, you have nothing to lose from accepting this proposal. The only stipulation is that some of our activities are completely confidential so there may be some topics we are not allowed to speak about to those outside of SEES." She took out a pamphlet and laid it on the table. "If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and I will, to the best of my abilities, provide an answer."

Mr. Yamagishi took it and frowned. After a while, he finally turned to her daughter to get her opinion. "So? What do you think?"

"I'd like to join," the girl honestly answered, hoping her parents could sense her earnest desire. "They need my help."

Her mother knit her eyebrows together. "What can you bring to this club that they don't already have?"

Minato grew a bit annoyed at the woman's lack of faith in Fuuka, but he managed to hide it. "Ma'am, I don't know if you're aware, but Fuuka displays a keen eye for detail as well as skilled hands required for handling complex machinery," he said, making it up on the spot. "Not all of our operations require an extensive physical prowess. We have a control room used to monitor our activity and that serves as our headquarters. So far, Kirijo-senpai has been serving as our navigator and intelligence gatherer, but the amount of technical skill needed is more than she can currently handle right now. Fuuka's abilities are exactly what we've been looking for to aid Senpai."

Akihiko nodded in agreement. "During our discovery of Fuuka's whereabouts, another incident occurred and she was able to quickly get a grasp over the situation. It was thanks to her that we were able to save another student who was caught up in that second operation."

"Just how are these operations structured?" Mrs. Yamagishi looked between the two boys. Neither looked remotely responsible compared to the Student Council President sitting before her.

"As the one currently handling navigation and central command, I remain in the headquarters, directing our field leader Yuki." She nodded at the blue-haired boy as she distracted them from the lady's actual question. It seemed to have work as both adults turned their attention towards Minato, surprise clearly written on their face that this junior was the one in charge of missions. "Earlier this year, Akihiko had been injured due to his position as Captain of the Gekkoukan Boxing Team but Yuki quickly proved himself to be a capable leader for onsite investigations and operations. He caught our attention and was recruited when he revealed his valuable deduction skills to us during his activities in Student Council. Despite his appearances, he has an extremely sharp mind with reflexes to match."

Minato shifted due to embarrassment but Fuuka's father continued to eye the blue-haired delinquent. "Really? So what exactly do you do during these operations then?"

"I ensure the team is on task and lead them as necessary," Minato vaguely answered. "Whether we check on students bordering on delinquency or assist local law enforcement with their investigations regarding our school, I am there, along with the co-leader, to ensure every operation results in perfection." Minato inwardly beamed at his boldfaced lie.

"I understand if you need time to reach a decision," Mitsuru nodded before finishing her tea. "If you would like, we are willing to give you the rest of this week before asking for an answer. I am sure you only wish the best for your daughter, but think of this as an opportunity for the future. This is a one-of-a-kind club with very specific goals. Our connections are rather expansive and I'm sure Yamagishi will benefit from this in the future." She signaled to the two boys that it was time they left. "Thank you for your time this evening."

Akihiko nodded to Mr. Yamagishi. "Yes, we look forward to hearing from you soon."

Minato politely bowed to Fuuka's parents. "Thank you for the tea. I hope you have a good night."

"Fuuka, please see them out," her father said as he flipped through the pamphlet.

"Of course," his daughter sheepishly answered as the three started towards the front door. She let out a deep breath, glad the meeting was over.

"Is something wrong?" Minato gave her a worried glance.

"Will they really accept your offer?" The girl frowned as she didn't think her parent would be easily swayed.

Akihiko smirked at her. "Hey, have some faith. With the way Mitsuru spun it, there's no way they'd decline."

Mitsuru smiled at the boxer's praise. "While I appreciate the comment, Akihiko, we cannot say for sure until they do accept."

They stepped out of the home and the seniors started off, discussing alternatives if the offer was declined. Minato stood on the porch for a while longer before turning to Fuuka. "You will be fine, right?" he asked, concerned. "I know they're your parents, but… I didn't like the atmosphere in there."

"I'll be okay, Minato-kun," the girl tried to give him a reassuring smile.

The blue-eyed boy noticed the stress in her eyes. "Hey, I'll meet you at Port Island Station tomorrow morning. We can walk to school together."

"You don't have to, Minato-kun!" Fuuka's eyes went wide. "I wouldn't want to take up anymore of your time."

"Don't worry about it." The boy looked away in embarrassment. "I just thought that you'd like some company as you returned to campus."

"That sounds nice actually," the girl smiled at him gratefully.

"Well, then," Minato smirked back at her. "I'd better catch up to Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai before I get myself lost. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Fuuka watched the blue-haired junior head down the direction opposite of the seniors. "W-wait, Minato-kun! They went the other way!" she called out. Minato waved to her in thanks as he quickly doubled backwards. Once she was certain he had caught up to the seniors, Fuuka smiled as she returned indoors. _Minato-kun's very kind_ , she thought, looking forward to seeing him again in the morning. She frowned though as she heard her parents arguing about whether to let her join. She carefully passed the kitchen to try avoiding their attention, but her father soon noticed her so cleared his throat. "Yes?" Fuuka cautiously turned to face her parents.

"Are you certain you want to join such a suspicious organization?" The man eyed her seriously.

The girl took a deep breath and tried to envision Minato standing beside her, giving her courage and strength. The brown-eyed girl nodded with determination before answering her father with as much conviction as she could. "I've made up my mind on this."

The man harrumphed before returning to the living room. "So long as your grades don't fall, do whatever you want."

Fuuka wasn't surprised that he didn't care, but she noticed his answer still stung a little. Even if they had managed to keep the truth hidden, she had thought her parents would be somewhat worried about the thought of Fuuka moving into the dorm. They didn't even show their concern when she returned after days of being missing. _I guess I expected too much from them_ , Fuuka glumly thought as she silently returned to her room. Still, she looked at the bright side as it wouldn't be too long before she would be free from this place.

* * *

~12 JUNE 2009~

Hamuko walked to school with Yukari the next morning. Her older brother stayed behind at the train station as he promised Fuuka that he'd walk to school with her. Yukari and Hamuko looked to each other with a smirk before teasing him. After a while, the archer gave him a serious expression.

"Hey, Minato. What do you think about Fuuka?"

The boy rolled his eyes as he thought his friend was still teasing him. "She's cute," he answered with a straight face.

"That's not what I meant," Yukari frowned at him.

"She's very helpful," Minato shrugged. "But she is cute. Even Hamuko would agree," he looked over to his sister.

"Yeah, she is!" The girl brightly smiled.

"You think so?" Yukari ignored their comments as she considered something for herself. "I mean, yeah, her Persona ability is great n' all, but… Doesn't it kinda seem like she was forced into joining us?" Minato frowned and looked away. "I hope she'll be okay…"

"She'll be fine," the boy said, eyebrows knitting together. "It's her decision after all."

"Nii-san, is something wrong?" Hamuko noticed his strange expression. It was the one he normally got whenever he was worried but had no idea what to do to get rid of it.

"I'll be fine. You two go on ahead."

After leaving him, Hamuko giggled to herself. "This is the first time nii-san's been so flustered over a girl. I'd spread a rumor about him, but I wouldn't want to give Fuuka-chan any trouble."

"Wouldn't that be going a bit too far?" Yukari asked the girl. "Teasing him is fun and all, but Fuuka is a recent victim of the school's rumor mill."

"Yeah," the red-eyed girl nodded. They past Ekoda's classroom and heard a few girls gossiping about their teacher's recent trouble. She frowned as these girls built their livelihood around badmouthing others. At least Hamuko's own rumors were harmless fun considering her brother was secure enough in himself to let most of it slide. The two girls went into their classroom and spoke for a while before Hamuko glanced up at the clock. It was almost class but Minato still hadn't arrived. "Hey, I'm going to look for nii-san."

"Yeah, he's pretty late. I'll come with you." The two exited the classroom and bumped into Junpei. Yukari glared at him before shaking her head. "Hey, have you seen Minato?"

"Huh?" The capped boy pointed to the boy behind him. "He's right there. He's been there with Fuuka for a while now. Apparently he's talking her into going in."

The girls looked up and saw as Fuuka took a deep breath. Minato gave her an encouraging nod as she finally went inside. The boy noticed his friends watching so approached them. "Hey," he shrugged.

"You're late," Hamuko scolded him.

"This took precedence," the boy shook his head. From where he was standing he could still see Fuuka, so he leaned back against the wall and watched for a while.

Inside the classroom, the girls who had been talking about Ekoda suddenly stopped as they noticed Fuuka come in. "Hey, look… It's the ghost girl."

Fuuka tensed up as another girl spoke up. "Quiet, she can hear you!"

Fuuka looked around the classroom for some support but frowned. "Um…" It was a shame Minato was in the class next door because she felt a bit lost about what to do now.

It was then Natsuki came into the classroom from behind her. "Fuuka, you in here?"

Fuuka turned around, surprised the girl was speaking to her. "Moriyama-san…?"

"I heard you started living in the dorms," she smiled.

"Y-yeah," the teal-haired girl nodded.

"You seem so depressed… Let me know if you need someone to talk to," Natsuki offered. "You could probably use a friend, huh?"

"Moriyama-san…" Fuuka's face brightened at her words.

"Oh, come on," the brunette smiled. "Just call me Natsuki."

"Thank you…" Fuuka returned a smile and noticed a blue-haired boy in the hall turn into his own classroom. _Thank you too, Minato-kun._

Outside, Yukari called out towards Minato. "Hey, she'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded with certainty.

Junpei frowned at him. "How can you be so sure?"

The blue-eyed boy looked towards Hamuko expectantly and the girl chuckled to herself as she knew his answer. "C'mon, nii-san. If I say it, it wouldn't sound as impressive."

The other two juniors looked at him expectantly as Minato's face slightly turned pink. "It's because Fuuka has us…"

Junpei and Yukari looked to each other as they didn't expect their quiet friend to say such a thing. They both brightly smiled at each other before teasing him. "That's a sweet thing for you to say, Minato," Yukari smirked.

"Yeah, dude. Who knew you were such a softie?"

"You'd be surprised at how sensitive nii-san is," Hamuko laughed.

"Whatever," Minato crossed his arms, but even he couldn't hide the small smile on his face.

* * *

That evening, all of the girls in the dorm were busy clearing out an empty bedroom to prepare for Fuuka's move-in. None of the boys were allowed up but when a cockroach resulted in Yukari knocking out the lights of the entire third floor, Minato was called up to fix it. Akihiko and Junpei gave him a sympathetic look as the blue-haired handyman trudged up the stairs, toolbox in hand.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru's voice came down the stairs. "We may need your assistance if we find another cockroach."

Junpei snickered at that only to hear Hamuko calling down for him too. "Actually, depending on how bad it gets, Junpei might need to come up too…"

"Ah, come on!" The junior tugged on the bill of his cap.

Luckily for the two other boys, Minato was able to take care of everything himself. The work took a lot longer than he thought and he barely had the strength to stand at the end of it. Seeing as the boys already retired for the night, Mitsuru let Minato spend the night in Hamuko's room.

So here he was, passed out on a futon his sister laid out for him. Some chuckling quickly woke him up though in the middle of the night. He slowly sat up as he rubbed his eyes. "Hamuko? Did you say something?"

His sister stirred as she sensed someone sit on her bed. "Nii-san… Go back to your futon." She rolled over.

"I'm _in_ the futon," he said, looking over to the bed. "Oh… it's you."

Hamuko sat up too and noticed the strange blue-eyed boy sitting beside her, smiling at them both. He chuckled once more. "You've prevailed yet again. Do you remember what I said before? About everything coming to an end? Well, I recalled something else… I'm fairly sure that the end is inevitable." He tilted his head at Minato. "But, it's funny… It doesn't seem so certain, considering the vast potentials within you. As a matter of fact, your powers seem to have changed quite a bit." He smiled as he walked towards Minato. "Hey, if you don't mind, can I be your friend? I'm very curious about you… Is that okay?"

Still tired, Minato laid back down. "Yeah, whatever."

The boy chuckled at him. "I see your point. You haven't had much say in the matter." He looked up at Hamuko for her response.

She smiled back at him. "Aren't we friends already?"

He lightly laughed. "You're right. I didn't really need to bring it up, did I? After all, I've been with you two from the beginning…" Minato turned over to stare at the boy. "My name is… Pharos. You may call me that if you wish." The two saw the Death Arcana flash before their eyes as the boy looked towards the window. "It's getting late, so I'll go now. I'm already looking forward to our next meeting. Bye-bye."

Minato groaned as he rolled over again. "Night, Pharos, Hamuko."

Hamuko smiled as the boy disappeared. "Good night, Pharos. Good night, nii-san."

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Fuuka looked around the kitchen, slightly confused about what to do. "Um…" On the counter, she laid out all of the materials for a basic miso soup. "Miso, tofu, and seaweed," the girl muttered as she frowned at what next to do. "Do I use water?" She looked through the cabinets and quickly found a pot. As she filled it with water, she heard someone rapidly coming down the stairs.

"Hamuko! Gragh!" Minato tumbled down the second floor.

Concerned, Fuuka quickly rushed to the stairs, only to duck out of the way when Hamuko quickly launched herself down from the fifth step. She triumphantly landed on both feet, her arms in the air. "I win! Nii-san, you're cooking dinner, breakfast, and lunch!"

Fuuka looked up to see Minato pick himself up and make his way slowly down the stairs. "I was going to cook anyways!" he scolded his younger twin. "Ow!" He gingerly placed a hand on his head.

"Are you okay, Minato-kun?" Fuuka examined him carefully.

"I'll be fine," the boy tried to convince her.

"I'm making miso soup," she informed him. "Maybe you'd like some?"

"Aw," Hamuko pouted. "But nii-san needs to be punished for losing. Fuuka-chan, you're spoiling him."

"Maybe if he helped me? This is actually my first time cooking," the shy girl blushed.

"Miso soup?" Minato frowned. "Seems simple enough. Alright, I'll help."

"Okay, but this means you need to make Fuuka-chan breakfast and lunch tomorrow too," Hamuko shrugged.

"What's with you working me like a slave?" He glared at his sister only to have her stick her tongue out at him. He shook his head as he looked at the ingredients on the counter. "Let's see…"

"Please instruct me well, Minato-kun," Fuuka smiled at him as she followed his lead. Hamuko watched them carefully, noticing Fuuka was completely lost at what Minato was doing.

"H-hey, Fuuka-chan?" Hamuko nervously watched as black smoke began billowing from the pot of water the teal-haired girl set to boil. "So you've never had cooking experience before?"

Fuuka and Minato both had their backs to the observer as they cut the tofu and seaweed. The shy girl paused as the boy carefully took over as she turned to answer the girl. "That's right." She noticed the smoke and let out a yelp.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Minato's eyes went wide at what he saw. "Hey!" Somehow the pot caught fire and he quickly grabbed it with a towel. "Hot, hot, HOT! Ow!" He dropped the water into the sink and turned on the faucet. The fire alarms suddenly went off as the three quickly evacuated the kitchen area.

The brown-eyed girl nervously laughed. "Um…"

Hamuko shook her head as she couldn't believe what just happened. "What now?"

"How about we just eat out tonight?" Minato suggested. "I'll deal with breakfast and lunch tomorrow…"

His sister exchanged a glance with Fuuka before nodding to her brother. "Yeah, good plan. You're paying for all of us, right?"

"Huh!?"

The red-eyed girl laughed as she pick pocketed her brother. "Never mind, I've got it."

"Hey, but that's my wallet!"

"Let's go, Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko dodged her brother's arm and pulled the teal-haired girl behind her.

Fuuka yelped again. "B-but shouldn't we help Minato-kun clear the kitchen first?"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** You know, I have mixed feelings about the Persona 3 movies, but I still love their songs. "More Than One Heart" is probably my favorite theme of the four movies though. My favorite single would have to be "My Testimony" because of the future arrange for "Burn My Dread -Final Battle-". Hrm... After an operation, things tend to slow down for a while... It can't be helped, I guess... In Portable, I find it really easy to climb Tartarus in one night, but I usually make a few extra visits to finish all of Elizabeth's requests and save the poor pathetic souls who get trapped in the tower... Seriously... what kind of person wanders up 200-something floors on their own? The height could be attributed to Tartarus shifting, but whatever...


	16. Concluding the First Case

**Author's Notes:** Another slow chapter, sort of. Maybe I'm just really impatient. I would speed things along, but then it'd feel choppy. Like parts of the movie. I should really stop ragging on the movie though... I did enjoy parts of it... But it really felt like I was watching Neon Genesis Evangelion. Eva's not bad, but it's not particularly good either... Baka Shinji is one of the worst protagonists ever... And watching Makoto was weird because he was sorta like Baka Shinji but with Kaworu's beautiful voice... Sort of... I mean, if Kaworu died inside...

* * *

~20 JUNE 2009~

Mitsuru walked down the halls, in a hurry. She stopped in front of Classroom 2-F to check the sign before going in. As she entered the classroom, the senior spotted the juniors of SEES having lunch together and she smirked to herself as Fuuka was also there. _Good. I won't have to stop in Class 2-E after all._ Hamuko noticed her come in and quickly tapped her brother's arm. The group of five looked up to Mitsuru expectantly. The redhead nodded to them. "Mind if I interrupt? I was just told by the Chairman that he'll be stopping by this evening. When you get back, come to the 4th floor meeting room."

Yukari frowned. "Oh, um… okay."

"I'll see you all later," the Student Council President said as she left.

"What do you think it's about?" The archer turned back towards the others.

"Probably nothing good," Minato mumbled, dreading the upcoming meeting. Was it just him or was the smile on Ikutsuki's laughing Reaper getting wider? It was too bad nobody else could see it, but Minato kept his thoughts to himself.

"Well, whatever it is, it should be enough to give us a better clue as to what's going on," Hamuko frowned as she noticed her brother's dark expression. "Does anyone else think the Shadows are getting rowdier with each Operation?"

Junpei groaned and tugged his cap down. "How can things get worse than the monorail? Or those two last Shadows?"

Fuuka gave Minato a questioning glance as the boy explained. "The Operation before you joined was in a monorail. A Shadow took over the train and nearly killed us."

"I think I remember reading that in the news," Fuuka frowned. "Around midnight, a train suddenly skipped a large section of track and appeared right in front of another train at the station without any explanation." She noticed how her four peers frowned at each other. "Oh, I'm sorry. I can't imagine how much pressure you all felt then."

"Still, nii-san managed to save us with his instinct!" Hamuko cracked a smile and hugged her brother from the side. "He was completely petrified, but he did it!"

"Cut it out," the boy lightly pushed her away, not in the mood for her jokes. Hamuko's smile faded into a sorry frown but the blue-eyed boy wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was staring at his Velvet Key as he remembered how the female Shadow tried to reach out for him that night. "That Priestess Shadow… It wanted something from me…" he muttered to himself. The red-eyed girl noticed Fuuka heard too and the two exchanged concerned glances.

Yukari and Junpei didn't notice as the archer shook her head. "Hey, let's not bring that up again. I still get nervous when riding the monorail at night."

Minato grunted in agreement, but he was only half-paying attention. _Was there something about the other three Shadows that I missed?_

* * *

Hamuko was careful with her brother as he was spacing out as they returned to the dorm. "Red light," she said aloud, making him stop.

"Huh?" He looked up at the crosswalk. "Oh," he replied when he realized she was right. "Okay…"

"Hey, is something the matter?" she looked at him worriedly. She reached up for his forehead. "You've been acting weird since lunch."

"Sorry, but I'm probably just thinking too much," he mumbled.

"More Reapers?" his younger sister asked.

He shook his head. "Just the same ones I've been seeing before."

"Even Fuuka-chan?" Hamuko stared at him in alarm.

"What?" Minato finally looked towards her and frowned. "Oh, uh... No, not that one..." He shook his head. "That Reaper disappeared once Fuuka summoned Lucia. I mean, she does still have a Reaper on her, but it's more in line with the cloud that follows everyone at the dorm," he stated while worriedly eyeing the constant mist trailing his sister. It wasn't as prominent during the day so he had learned to more or less ignore its presence, but that still didn't completely stop his concerns.

Hamuko must have noticed because she quickly tried to get her brother to relax. "After lunch, Fuuka-chan asked me if I knew what was bothering you. You shouldn't worry her too much, nii-san."

"I'll apologize to her, too. Thanks for letting me know," he absently replied while knitting his eyebrows together.

"That's not what I meant!" The red-eyed girl frowned. "Nii-san, you like her, right?"

The boy snapped out of his thoughts and frowned at her. "Where did that come from?"

Hamuko smirked as he was finally acting like himself again. "So, do you? It's okay if you do. I won't get jealous."

"What unnecessary things to say," Minato huffed as the light finally became green. "I don't want you to give her too much trouble, Hamuko. That's an order."

The younger twin laughed as she followed after him. "It's okay, nii-san. I'm sure Fuuka-chan likes you too. Have you seen the way she looks—?" She was interrupted when her brother shushed her. Confused as to why he did that, she looked ahead at what he was staring at before smiling at the sight.

Outside the building, Yukari and Fuuka were playing with a white dog. Fuuka knelt before it as she happily spoke to it. "Koro-chan, give me your paw!"

The dog did as asked and Yukari was surprised. "Ooh, good dog!"

Fuuka looked up and brightened as Minato came towards them. "Oh, hi."

Yukari noticed them too and smiled. "Hey, you're back!" She noticed Hamuko snickering behind her brother as the blue-haired boy groaned. Yukari raised her eyebrow at the red-eyed girl who just gave her a smirk and eyed Fuuka, who was actively blushing at the boy. The archer smiled too but the dog in front of her began barking for attention.

Minato raised an eyebrow at the two girls. "What's with the dog?" he asked, bending down to examine it. _Wow, an albino. He looks like a purebred too. Pretty cool._

"He was just walking down the street," Yukari answered.

His younger twin stepped up to the dog. "Can we pet him?"

"Koro-chan," Fuuka pointed to the twins. "Go say hi!" The dog happily obliged as he approached the twins with a cheerful bark.

 _Wow, he's pretty smart_ , Minato thought as he got down to pet the white furball. He smiled as the dog leapt onto him and began licking his face. "H-hey!" The usually stoic teen couldn't help but laugh. "That tickles! Hamuko! H-help!"

His sister happily distracted the dog by rubbing its back. It rolled over as she gave him a belly rub. "I think he sensed your Hellhound instincts, nii-san," she joked. "So do you have a name?" she asked the dog.

Fuuka hid a smile behind a hand as she helped Minato up from the ground. "His name's Koromaru. I've seen him sitting by the steps of the shrine."

"Huh?" Hamuko watched as Koromaru got to his feet and bark to the girls. A light appeared behind him and Hamuko watched. A lady came up from behind her and noticed the dog.

"Oh," the lady began. "This dog still goes on walks all by himself?"

The four students looked at the lady in surprise. Yukari was the first to speak. "Whaddya mean?"

"He used to belong to the priest at Naganaki Shrine," the lady explained. Hamuko watched as the light took on the figure of a man. "Every afternoon, the two of them went this way for a walk."

"That explains it..." Fuuka nodded. She and Minato gave each other a confused glance as something was off. Where was Koro's owner?

"Well," the lady looked away sadly. "Until the priest passed away."

Hamuko nodded to Minato while eyeing the priest's ghost behind Koromaru and he immediately understood, but Fuuka's eyes widened in sad surprise. "He passed away…?"

"Oh, you haven't heard the story? It was about six months ago… The priest was hit by a car while walking his dog." The juniors frowned. "He didn't survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident. And he goes for a walk every day, just like when his owner was still alive…" She paused to look at her watch before shaking her head. "Oh shoot, I have to get going! My son will be back soon!"

Yukari gave the dog a sympathetic glance as she pet him some more. "Aww, you're such a loyal dog! Good boy!"

Minato and Fuuka stared at Koro for a while longer before Minato noticed a faint cloud emanate from him. _A Reaper cloud?_

Beside him, Fuuka thought she heard something. "Huh?"

The boy's blue eyes quickly darted in her direction. _Wait, did Fuuka sense it too?_

Yukari looked up at the teal-haired girl. "What's wrong?"

Koromaru decided to continue on his walk and Fuuka looked around in confusion. When she didn't notice anything out of place, she looked back at the other three who were watching her in worry. "Oh, nothing… Sorry." She gave them an apologetic smile before remembering something. Wait, isn't the Chariman coming today? Then, we should go get ready."

"Oh, that's right." Hamuko got back up as she opened the front door. "The command room, right?"

"Yeah, as usual," Yukari followed after her.

Fuuka was about to go in too but Minato reached out for her. "Fuuka?"

"Minato-kun?" The girl turned around and saw a strange expression on his face. It wasn't quite one of his worried scowls, but the concern was still present. "Is something wrong?"

Minato looked towards Koromaru. "Did you sense something strange just now?"

Fuuka watch him stare at the white dog and shook her head. "I just thought I heard something, but it doesn't look it was anything."

"So around Ikutsuki-san, you don't sense anything… odd?"

"Minato-kun, are you okay?" His questions were rather confusing and the girl frowned at him with worry.

"So it's not…" Minato muttered to himself. "Yeah," he nodded to himself. "Koromaru is safe." He realized he just said those words aloud so quickly let out a nervous laugh. "S-sorry. I was just thinking about something. We should hurry to the command room too. Never mind what I asked before."

Fuuka nodded her head as the boy followed her into the dorm. _Minato-kun… Are you hiding something?_

* * *

Everyone was already in the meeting room. They all waited as Ikutsuki finally entered. "Hello, everyone. I wanted to let you know how my research has been going. This concerns those Shadows that have been appearing during full moons. I want you to listen closely; it might be hard to follow. Shadows can be divided into 12 categories, according to their characteristics. This, we've known for a while. It's like their class or order. Now, I've classified the special Shadows we've seen so far, and… It's simply fascinating!" He paused as he became lost in thought.

Yukari frowned as she snapped him back to the meeting. "And…?"

"Oh, sorry." Ikutsuki nodded as he cleared his throat. He took a seat at the control panel and pulled up the data on the Shadows. "Those four Shadows belong to categories I through IV, in order of their appearance! They may have looked different than the more common ones, but the classification scheme still applies."

Minato's eyes widened as he immediately understood. Junpei on the other hand crossed his arms with a frown. "Is that something we should be excited about?"

"Oh, I get it…" Fuuka nodded. "There's 12 in all… Eight we haven't seen yet."

"That's exactly right, Fuuka!" Ikutsuki smiled. "You're quite sharp."

Junpei finally understood. "Oh, uh, okay… But, what are they after?"

"That's a good question," Ikutsuki nodded. "And that's what we haven't figured out yet: their motive. They don't kill their prey; they feed on their minds. It can be considered predation, but is it really? Is there an underlying intent behind their behavior? The purpose of the Shadows as a whole…" Minato shifted as he didn't like the giddy tone in the man's voice. "That's what we need to consider."

Akihiko smirked. "This is interesting. But, no matter what, we still have to beat the rest of 'em."

"I agree," Mitsuru nodded. "That's about all we can do at this point."

"Eight more, huh?" Yukari considered their situation. "Lucky us."

"According to the data," Fuuka pointed at the screen, "each one has been stronger than the last, so we better start training harder…"

"We'll manage," Akihiko eagerly smirked. "We've got plenty of time."

"What about Tartarus?" Yukari frowned. "Why does it even exist…?" The brunette watched as Mitsuru lowered her head, deep in thought. _Just what is she hiding?_

* * *

~21 JUNE 2009~

Minato stared at his ceiling for quite a while before he felt the need to get up. He didn't bother changing out of his sleeping clothes as he walked over to his desk, yawning. He paused when he saw one of his case folders underneath his schoolwork so pulled it out.

"Oh, that's right," Minato said aloud. "I never filed a closing report for last month's operation." He frowned as this was unlike him. This was the first time he had neglected to conclude an investigation. The boy placed the folder over his laptop and carried them outside with him. _Well, it doesn't sound like anyone's here today. This'll probably take all day so I'd better work downstairs where coffee is more accessible._ As he walked down the stairs, he began humming the beginning of his favorite song to himself. "Dreamless dorm~ Ticking clock~ I walk away~ From a soundless room~" He managed get to the first floor without problems. "Windless—" He yelped as he saw someone sitting in the lounge. "Fuuka!?"

The girl looked up at him, startled. "Oh! Minato-kun!" She set her laptop aside as she started to get up. "Is something wrong?"

Minato calmed his heart rate as his face grew red. "I thought I was the only one in the dorm today."

Fuuka realized he was just embarrassed that she had been listening to him sing. "Oh! Um… I'm sorry… I…" She didn't really know what else to say to him.

"N-no, it's fine." Minato set his laptop down on the coffee table.

They stood in awkward silence before Fuuka nervously laughed as she noticed how quiet the building was. "Wow, no one's here… Everyone must have left…"

"Um, don't you go out?" Minato asked. "It must be boring to stay in the dorm all day."

"Hm? Don't I go out?" Fuuka's face slightly went pink as she looked back at her laptop. "Well, if there's a computer around, I usually stay inside. Why don't you go ahead, Minato-kun? I'll be fine by myself."

"N-no, I don't really have plans to leave the dorm today either," he smiled at her. "I actually have a report to work on. If you want, I can keep you company while I work."

"Okay…" Seeing as the boy already set his things down before going into the kitchen, Fuuka nodded. Curious, the girl stared at the file on his laptop. "What is it for?"

"It's not actually for school. It's a case file regarding…" Minato blinked as he realized who exactly it was he was talking to. "Um…" He turned away as he filled the coffee pot with water.

The girl's brown eyes widened. "Oh! So it's about…"

"Yeah," Minato looked away from her. "I usually write up a final report for myself for future reference. I've put this one off long enough."

"I see," Fuuka giggled at his hobby. "I can see why people call you the Hellhound at school. You're just like a detective, Minato-kun."

The boy smiled at that. "Y-yeah? Well, my parents were detectives and I picked up a lot of their habits." He waited for his coffee to brew. "In fact, a lot of my relatives are investigators of some sort. I find it pretty fascinating, but Hamuko and I can't really see ourselves becoming detectives in the future."

"Then what do you want to do when you're older, Minato-kun?"

"Hamuko wants to be a nurse or doctor while I…" Minato thought about it. He frowned when he realized he never considered what he wanted to do in the future. _I always thought I'd be dead before that time comes. Either that or in an asylum somewhere._ "I don't actually know. Hamuko says that with my skills and hobbies, I can do anything I want. It's just that I'm not particularly too interested in one subject. I guess I _can_ be an investigator like the rest of our family, but I wouldn't say I'd want to." He shook his head as he probably wasn't making any sense. "What about you, Fuuka? Is there anything you have planned?"

"My parents want me to become a doctor," the girl replied with a sad frown. Minato looked up from pouring himself a mug of coffee and noticed. "All of my relatives are doctors except my parents, so they expect me to study hard and do whatever I can to become one."

"I see," Minato hid his own frown as he sipped his coffee. "But is there anything you'd want to do?"

"If I tell you, promise you won't laugh?" The girl looked up at him shyly. Minato nodded as he returned to the lounge and set his mug on a coaster. Fuuka smiled as she stared at her laptop. "I would like to be an engineer. I'm actually very good with computers and electronics."

"That's right," Minato brightly smiled. "You even modified your own camera. It was very impressive, Fuuka."

"But it's not very feminine," she frowned to herself.

"A lot of my hobbies aren't really masculine," the boy shrugged, setting his file to his side and turning on his laptop. "I'll let you in on a secret the others in the dorm don't actually know about me. Well, Hamuko knows, but she doesn't really count. I really like fortune telling. It's pretty fun. It's not masculine, but I like it."

Fuuka giggled at him. "That's actually very surprising. I never would have guessed, Minato-kun."

"See?" The boy smiled as he opened up a word processor. "There's a lot more to you than you know, Fuuka. It's okay to do things on your own terms. It's your life and you should live it. I'm not saying you should ignore your parents. I'm just saying you shouldn't just let others dictate your future. It's yours after all."

The brown-eyed girl smiled gratefully at the boy as he began typing. "You're very kind, Minato-kun. Thank you for everything you've done for me."

"H-hey… I'm not really that great," he said, face slowly becoming pink. He glanced around him and took out a few documents from his folder.

The two remained silent as Fuuka returned to her own laptop. She glanced up at the boy and noticed him furrow his eyebrows as he typed up his concluding report. She smiled as he seemed so focused on his work. _I think you'd make a great investigator, Minato-kun. You always seem to know when someone is in trouble and are the first to save them. Even in Tartarus…_ Fuuka left him to his work, letting the oddly soothing sound of the boy's clacking keyboard fill the silence of the dorm.

Minato's eyes scanned his laptop, oblivious to his surroundings as he began furiously typing. _So as it turns out, 'Makoto' was indeed Fuuka Yamagishi. She had been the victim to bullying in Ekoda's Class 2-E and an incident occurred where the first victim of the 'ghost' locked her in the gymnasium, resulting in Fuuka's following disappearance. Ekoda purposefully tampered with her school records to hide all traces of the bullying as well as her disappearance in order to protect himself and the class. This only made the matter worse as more students began disappearing from the school. These victims had planned to return to the campus in the middle of the night to free Fuuka from the gym, but they fell prey to the Shadows of Tartarus following a Voice they heard calling them._

 _As for Fuuka herself, she already had the Potential so when she accidentally wandered into Tartarus, she was safe. The victims on the other hand were not meant to be pulled into the Dark Hour, so ended up in the hospital. Following this case, I'm sure they will have no memories of exactly what they went through, and although this means I can no longer question them about the events they went through, this is for the best. One girl in particular, Natsuki Moriyama, nearly fell victim to the Voice, but on the night of the Full Moon, Fuuka saved her from the two Shadows that appeared then. Moriyama-san might not remember, but the events of that night must still resonate within her because she and Fuuka seem to be good friends now._

 _This case turned out to be rather simple but there were many details I overlooked. One major point was the fact that I did not realize who Fuuka was sooner. The clues were rather obvious in hindsight, but it was my own immaturity that made me turn my back on the truth. The Reaper was the biggest giveaway but my panic nearly put Fuuka in greater danger. After all, she was willing to speak with me at that point, but I pushed her away. Perhaps if I braved the Reaper, I would have gotten her to join SEES that following Friday, preventing her from ever being trapped in Tartarus for ten days._

 _Speaking of which, the nature of Fuuka's powers is amazing. Much like Kirijo-senpai, Fuuka has the ability to scan Shadows. There is a clear difference in quality between when Senpai filled the role of support though. This much is obvious given Fuuka was trapped in Tartarus for an equivalent of ten Dark Hours. Compared to Senpai, Fuuka is much faster, more accurate, and actually a hundredfold more powerful. The difference in speed of information transfer may be accounted for by Fuuka's telepathy, but her accuracy and strength must be due to her Persona. Sanada-senpai reassured me that Kirijo-senpai was meant for the frontlines and after seeing her on the battlefield, I understand why he thinks so. Penthesilea may have served well supporting us, but her power is clearly meant for battle. So from now on, Fuuka's Lucia will be our supporting Persona. I do have some concerns about this though._

 _During operations and Tartarus explorations, I have some qualms about having Fuuka exposed to danger. Lucia is rather open to attack, but not entirely defenseless. Fuuka is completely safe within Lucia's protective bubble, but if a powerful Shadow were to attack her, she'd have no means of fighting back. Kirijo-senpai agreed to me having only a max team of five going into Tartarus. This gives me a chance to delegate someone to sit with Fuuka in case a stray Shadow leaves the labyrinth for the lobby._

 _During actual operations, I may reduce the number to four; this way the threat of a more powerful Shadow is stopped by two fighters instead of one. My reasoning for this is completely rational as Hamuko and I have been noticing that the Shadows are growing more and more unruly. Even Pharos thinks so as his nightly visits seem to be more than just to warn us of danger. As Fuuka pointed out during Ikutsuki's last visit, we have eight more Shadows to face. Already, we've defeated the Magician, Priestess, Empress, and Emperor but we have yet to face the Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice, Hermit, Fortune, Strength, and Hanged Man. How odd that we stop right before Death._

 _Actually, this is rather suspicious. Why does it end with the Hanged Man? Ikutsuki explained that the Shadows fall under these twelve categories, but why do I sense there is a thirteenth category? In fact, what if I categorize the Reapers I see as Shadows? They'd perfectly fit into Death. Is Ikutsuki just ignorant of this or is he really hiding something? With as many times we've met, that laughing Reaper has been consistently following him. It's not marking Ikutsuki's death, so what exactly does it mean? Death is imminent for someone but whom?_

 _I must be thinking about this from the wrong angle. What if it's not a person that Reaper is for? Given Ikustuki is the one directing us to destroy the Shadows, perhaps it is for them? That is rather ironic, but it's also a possibility._

 _This also explains the misgivings I have about the dying Priestess Shadow. She specifically looked to me and reached out for me in the same fashion Hamuko does whenever I'm suffering from the Reapers. Did the Shadow sense the Reapers haunting me, too? Did she not want to die? Actually, now that I think about it, the Magician was literally torn apart by the Reaper Persona that erupted from Orpheus. The Shadow must not have wished for Death then too._

 _But what about the Empress and Emperor? They must have known or at least sensed our intentions to defeat them because the Empress specifically attacked Kirijo-senpai. I was the one to deal the final blow on the Empress and it only looked to Senpai as it fell. I think it glanced towards Hamuko and me too, but I can't remember as I was completely focused on Fuuka's safety. As for the Emperor, Sanada-senpai was the one to destroy it. I'd never seen him so angry, but perhaps it was because Kirijo-senpai had been in danger. The Emperor Shadow bowed his head to Sanada-senpai though as he lost. Could this have meant something?_

 _I really have no means of answering these questions right now. I should be vigilant of these Shadows' behaviors from now on. They have a message for us but seeing as I'm the one the Reaper haunts, only I can decipher this strange code. Just thinking about this brings about a strange mixture of curiosity and fear within me, but I must keep going. I must because I can't help but think of Pharos and his mysterious words._

 _He's always with me and I believe him. I also trust him. This 'end of everything' is troubling, but even he says the future has become uncertain. Whether it is due to Hamuko and me meddling, I am unsure. There may be more questions I have, but it would probably take an eternity for me to list them all. So for now, I will end here._

Minato saved the file and sighed when he finally finished. He lifted his empty mug of coffee and wondered when he finished it. His eyes focused on last few drops of the light brown liquid. "I didn't add cream to this," he said with a frown.

"No, but it was getting cold so I finished it for you," Hamuko smirked as she sat at his side.

"Oh, you've finished, Minato-kun?" Fuuka smiled at him.

"For now," Minato nodded. He looked back to his sister and shook his head. "How long have you been back?"

"A few minutes?" Hamuko shrugged. "By the way," she frowned at her brother, "do you mind explaining to us that really serious expression you had just now before you finished?"

"What expression?" Minato didn't understand the younger twin. He looked over towards Fuuka and noticed she was looking back at him with concern.

"Before Hamuko-chan returned, you were rather pale as you typed. I tried calling out to you, but you didn't answer. Are you feeling well?"

Minato tried to remember what he had been typing. _Oh, it must have been the Reapers._ "It's nothing too serious," the boy shook his head. He gave Hamuko an expectant glance and the red-eyed girl understood. "I was just considering whether to perform a follow-up investigation to make sure there are no loose ends." He crossed his arms. "But it's been a couple weeks already. I wonder if there's anything else I can do for this case."

Hamuko gave him a look that told him he'd had to tell her about his theories later but she gave Fuuka a sigh. "Nii-san is such a worrywart. You're doing fine in your class, right, Fuuka-chan? No one's giving you any trouble or anything?"

"That's right," the teal-haired girl nodded.

"See? No worries, nii-san. Besides, if you keep going into Ekoda's class, I'm pretty sure more rumors will be spread about you."

"Like what?" the boy rolled his eyes.

"Maybe something like the Hellhound dating Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko smiled as the two immediately blushed.

"H-hey. I told you no giving Fuuka trouble," the older boy scolded her.

"But Fuuka-chan's so cute," Hamuko smirked at him. "And Fuuka-chan, isn't nii-san adorable when he's flustered like this?"

"H-hamuko-chan, I-I think that's enough," Fuuka hid her face but she smiled as she saw the other girl was right. Minato wasn't directly looking at her though and was busy getting away from his sister's harassment.

"There's no winning against you," Minato huffed as he picked up his things. He gave Fuuka an apologetic smile. "I should print out my last document and reorganize this. Try not to take her too seriously." He cast his sister one last glare before going upstairs.

"Aw, nii-san's upset," Hamuko pouted. When he was gone, she laughed to herself before looking at her friend seriously. "Thanks for always watching out for him though, Fuuka-chan."

"N-not at all, Hamuko-chan," the brown-eyed girl shook her head. "The two of us were the only ones here and he was the one who wanted to keep me company."

"That's not exactly what I mean," Hamuko shook her head and smiled softly. "Never mind." The girl picked up her brother's mug and brought it to the kitchen. "Can I trust you with something, Fuuka-chan?"

"What is it?" Fuuka watched as she washed the cup carefully.

"That day on the roof when you spoke to him, he panicked, right?" Hamuko didn't wait for the girl to answer. "If he gets like that again, just calmly talk to him and reassure him nothing bad will happen. Nii-san tends to think he needs fix every problem on his own, so every once in a while, it's good to remind him that he's not alone. This is something I can only ask you, Fuuka-chan."

Fuuka remembered how Minato's blue eyes filled with unfathomable fear. "I'll do my best, Hamuko-chan." She frowned as she wondered where this request came from. "Can I ask why you're asking me this?"

"I have a few things I need to do that if nii-san knew about it, he'd worry himself silly," Hamuko answered, thinking about Akihiko's mysterious friend. "I might not be able to spend as much time with nii-san in the future, so I need someone he's comfortable around to watch him for me."

"Me?" Fuuka's face went red.

"Yeah," the red-eyed girl chuckled. "You like nii-san after all."

"I-I…" Her brown eyes looked away from the other junior.

"It's okay. Nii-san knows. Or he would know if he believed me," Hamuko's mischievous smirk returned. "Nii-san likes you too."

"Y-you're teasing me again, aren't you, Hamuko-chan?"

Hamuko laughed at how red Fuuka's face was. "I'll leave that up to you to decide."

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Mitsuru winced as she gingerly pressed the wound on her arm. "Yuki? Do we have something stronger available for me to wear into battle? I don't think my current setup is feasible."

"Yukari, cast Dia," Minato ordered as he dug through his bag. "Sorry, Senpai. The only other armor I have available for you isn't very…" Minato scanned the walls as he searched for an appropriate word. "Um… Let's just say it's indecent."

Akihiko crossed his arms at the leader. "Hey. It can't be that bad. We're talking about a life-or-death situation here. If it's stronger than what she's got now, you might as well give it to her."

"No, really," Yukari nervously sided with Minato. "I don't think it's a good idea, Senpai."

Hamuko shook her head at the two other juniors. "Here, Mitsuru-senpai!" She handed the armor to the redhead. "It'll be fine! Let's go change! Yukari, you coming?"

"N-no way!" The brunette shook her head as she sighed at what the older girl got herself into. "This won't turn out well."

Minato agreed. Akihiko frowned at them both. "Honestly, you two. Every point for defense counts. Why wouldn't you—?" The boxer's eyes went wide as Mitsuru came back, wearing barely anything.

Mitsuru held her arm as her face was slightly red. "Um… I now understand your reservations, Yuki." She noticed Akihiko gawking at her. "Is something wrong, Akihiko?"

He quickly turned around so that he wouldn't have to face her. After he regained his composure, he cleared his throat. "I think you should change back, Mitsuru. Isn't it cold wearing that?"

"I admit it's very revealing, but I'll be fine. Arisato says it takes some getting used to."

Minato glared at his sister. "Well, if you insist, Senpai."

They didn't make much progress that night as Akihiko was too distracted to fight. When they returned to the lobby, Junpei raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired boy. "That's it? Will I be able to go up now?"

"That depends," Minato said. "If you can convince Kirijo to change her armor, we'll go up. Otherwise, no."

"Why? What's she—?" Junpei looked over his shoulder and covered his nose. "Shit… She's so _hot_!"

Hearing him, Akihiko punched the junior. "Head in the game, Junpei!" he hissed.

"You're one to talk, Senpai," Minato sighed, remembering how their last fight ended with the boxer being downed three times for not paying attention to the Shadows. He looked around to tell Fuuka that they were done for the night but couldn't find her anywhere. He turned when a familiar yelp came from the changing area they set up.

"Hamuko-chan, I don't think this is necessary," Fuuka said as Hamuko pulled her away from the curtains.

"The extra defense might come in handy, Fuuka-chan!" The red-eyed junior snickered.

"What are you doing now?" Minato sighed in exasperation as he approached them. He froze when Fuuka stepped out wearing the dreaded Battle Panties. "F-Fuu… U-um…" He choked on his words and began coughing.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka quickly rubbed his back. "Are you alright?"

When he calmed down enough, Minato shot his sister a death glare. The girl jumped out of his reach as he began to chase her around the lobby. "I want everyone back into what they were before! I told you! We're a team of class!" Minato managed to corner the red-eyed girl and tried to grab her but she dodged out the way, resulting in her older brother knocking himself out when he crashed into the wall.

"Junpei!" she called out, dragging her brother towards Fuuka. "You're taking nii-san's place. Get ready to move out, everyone!" Hamuko paused in front of Yukari and smiled devilishly at her as she pulled out the last armor set she had. "Yukari, get changed."

Yukari sighed as she had no choice against the co-leader. "At least I'm not the only one wearing it."

"Please take very good care of my brother, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko winked as they left the two blue-haired teens behind.

Fuuka blushed as she knelt beside the sleeping boy. Seeing as they were alone and he wouldn't be able to defend himself if a Shadow came by, Fuuka took out her Evoker and summoned Lucia. The Persona's protective dress surrounded the two of them before Fuuka returned to her job.

Minato slowly sat up and grabbed his head. "Urgh, Hamuko…" He froze when he saw that he was inside Lucia. "Um…" The girl was busy directing a fight and Minato crossed his arms as he sat on the ground. _Looks like I'm trapped here for the rest of the night…_ He stared outside of Lucia's dress, trying to ignore Fuuka's reflection on the glass. _Please let the Dark Hour end soon…_

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I really do love giving characters I like grief... Then again, I'm a bit masochistic so willingly give myself grief too. I don't mind my friends teasing me. It's all in good harmless fun and I'm the one who normally sets myself up for it. You know, I wish Fuuka had a Maid Outfit costume. I mean, even Aigis gets one, so why can't Fuuka? The Battle Panties wouldn't suit the adorable navigator, but I want to see her in a Maid Outfit. And why doesn't Minato have his own Butler Outfit for that matter? It'd suit him... Seriously, Koro gets his own pseudo-tux and the protagonist doesn't?


	17. Twin Investigations

**Author's Notes:** Yo... Not much to say right now... Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

~23 JUNE 2009~

Hamuko frowned as she noticed she was spending less time with her brother. It was rather odd that the two of them began increasing the number of friends they didn't share. There were those they were both familiar with, but it wasn't like she could easily go up to Kenji or Kaz and spend time with them the same way Minato could. They were her brother's friends after all, not hers. That sounded strange to her, but she was happy to see him expanding his tiny world.

Of course, there were the Social Links they did share. They both visited Bunkichi and Mitsuko together every once in a while. Hidetoshi sometimes asked them both for help considering there were some jobs that required Hamuko's lighter touch and neither the head of the Disciplinary Committee nor the Hellhound knew how to deal with the finer moments of interrogation. And then there were the new Social Links. At school, the two of them joined the Fashion Club where they met the French transfer student Bebe. The foreign blonde took an immediate liking to them both and the twins found him quite the intriguing character. Outside of Gekkoukan, the twins met the lonely elementary girl Maiko at the shrine and began playing with her whenever they could. At night, Minato introduced her to Mutatsu, a drinking monk who regularly spends his nights wasting away in Escapade. And during a visit to see the old man, they met the clever but very crude businessman Tanaka. It was actually getting difficult for them to plan accordingly to meet with their friends so more often than not, they both took care of the Social Links separately, making sure to keep the other up-to-date with how their friends were doing.

The boy had his own Links to strengthen after all and the red-eyed twin noticed Minato was spending a lot less time in the dorm. She had asked him about what he was doing instead, and the older brother shook his head saying that his friends are silly, but he can't turn his back on them. Kenji was getting involved with the Economy teacher of the school. Kaz apparently has a knee injury that he's hiding. Yuko needs his help in training some elementary kids for a race. Chihiro is having problems with her position as Treasurer. And even when he was in his room, he was online with 'Maya' who oddly reminded the twins of their homeroom teacher Toriumi.

On top of his already hectic schedule, Kenji introduced him to the Gourmet King, Nozomi Suemitsu. Thanks to the third year, Minato had been bringing back very interesting takeout for her. And if he didn't have enough people to hang out with, the older twin was finally able to join the Photography Club where he met its president, Keisuke Hiraga. Hamuko recognized the older boy from when Junpei was investigating a photo of her being spread around in one of her own Social Links.

The Magician practically harassed her brother to keep an eye out for any suspicious photos while he participated in the club and when Minato saw that Junpei was actually being serious for once, the blue-haired boy decided to entrust this matter to him. Junpei was just as surprised as Hamuko, but didn't question their leader when the older twin shrugged it off, saying, "I have enough to deal with in the Student Council, so knock yourself out, Junpei. I trust you."

It was the first time Hamuko saw her brother willingly let her go. If it had been the month before, Minato would have torn through the school himself to find whoever was taking those pictures. The girl was proud of her older brother and two days after he joined the Photography Club, the smirk on his face told her everything when she saw him heading up to the roof with Fuuka. Apparently, the shy girl roped him into being the official taster of the Cooking Club Hamuko and Fuuka started. It was also his turn to start the Priestess Social Link, although given the brown-eyed girl's cooking, Hamuko felt bad when her brother returned to the dorm last night with a dreadful stomachache. Fuuka treated him of course, wondering what had gone wrong since she followed Hamuko's recipe as accurately as she could.

Hamuko felt a bit guilty for leaving her brother in the shy girl's care, but then again, it had always been the younger twin's dream of seeing her brother opening up to others around them. If that meant she would have to set him off on his own path, so be it. She had other Social Links of her own to take care of too, after all.

The outgoing junior was dealing with drama within the Volleyball Team. And with Rio angering the rest of the juniors on the team, the two girls would be practicing alone for a while. It didn't help that Kenji would interrupt their practice sessions every so often. It was obvious to Hamuko that her friend liked the boy, but given what her brother told her about Kenji, things were rather hopeless for the two childhood friends.

And then there was Saori Hasegawa from the Library Committee. The other students in her class would take advantage of her kindness and it enraged Hamuko to see the girls who borrowed and subsequently lost her friend's notes walk away as if they'd done nothing wrong. The red-eyed girl laughed as she was starting to sound like her brother, but that didn't curb her frustration at the situation.

It was a good thing her friends at SEES knew exactly how to cheer her up though. Yukari and Junpei were the two greatest friends she could ever ask for. Sometimes Minato would join the three of them and whenever he did, Hamuko couldn't help but feel the four of them were like siblings. She'd always have her older brother Minato, but Yukari and Junpei were different. They were there for her, but they always left her room to breathe. Of course, this meant that the two would always tease Minato with her and as the "eldest sibling" he put up with them. That is, until they'd return home and he could escape to Mitsuru or Akihiko.

Hamuko also noticed how Mitsuru was quite the motherly role model. She treated Minato as an equal and the boy quickly became her confidant. It wasn't quite a Social Link as the senior kept to herself, but whenever she spoke with the twins, Hamuko could feel the amount of faith and trust the senior entrusted to them. The redhead reminded Hamuko so much of their mother that she understood why Minato always kept himself available to deal with whatever Mitsuru asked.

Akihiko was the same way as he filled the fatherly role the twins felt suited him. It took some work but Hamuko managed to get him to open up, establishing the Star Arcana Social Link. Here, she learned Akihiko was actually a capable older brother. Whenever the white-haired boxer wasn't paying attention, Hamuko would share words with the young ghost girl following him.

Miki was quite the adorable younger sister and Hamuko understood the older boy's worries about her. Speaking with Miki cleared up many things about Akihiko's reasons for fighting, but one thing about the boxer constantly remained a mystery to the red-eyed junior.

One afternoon while she was out with Akihiko, she finally decided to ask the senior her question. "Senpai? That boy we met in the hospital, who is he?"

Akihiko shifted in his seat, discomfort apparent on his face. "He's an old friend of mine. Why do you ask?"

"He saved us that night Yukari and nii-san dragged us to those back alleys during our investigation of those ghost rumors. Your friend isn't a delinquent, is he?"

"No," Akihiko quickly answered with a shake of his head. "Shinji's… a bit like your brother, I suppose. He likes to keep to himself, but if there's trouble you know you can count on him to pull through for you." Hamuko nodded to the older boy, but notice that he wasn't smiling. Instead a concerned expression painted over his face as he remained silent. "He's lost his reason to fight, but I'm sure I'll get him to come back one of these days."

"Oh, so he was a part of SEES?" Hamuko was a bit surprised.

"What?" Akihiko forgot the girl was the daughter of detectives. "Never mind," he shook his head again. "Hey, let's just focus on your own wellbeing. You're not feeling sick, are you? Don't worry your brother. He's only just looking out for you." Akihiko looked at her with the same sad eyes Minato would give her whenever he had something on his mind that he wasn't willing to share.

In fact, Akihiko trusted Minato a lot too. It could have been because he didn't want Minato to end up like him, but both boys were the authoritative male figures of the group. If Mitsuru was the mother with absolute control, Akihiko would be the father supporting her with their eldest son Minato right behind them. Hamuko, the favorite child, would be next. But because of her role, Hamuko felt as though she wasn't taken seriously enough so as she went through her own investigations, she finally found something interesting of note.

Rumors were going around regarding a revenge site and Minato immediately took it upon himself to look into it. Hamuko, on the other hand, spotted Akihiko coming off the train at Iwatodai Station. "Akihiko-senpai!" she called out.

Surprised, the boxer turned towards her and frowned. "Hamuko? What are you doing here?"

"Are you busy, Senpai? We could grab a bite before returning to the dorm," she offered, tugging on his sleeve.

"Sorry, but I have plans today. Maybe another time, okay?" Akihiko nodded to her as he took off towards Hagakure Ramen.

"No problem, Senpai," Hamuko hid her sly smirk as she put on her headphones. "I'm sure nii-san won't mind if I borrow some of his equipment for this," she muttered as she turned on the wireless tap she placed on the boxer. _Let's see. Senpai tends to go to Hagakure alone for some reason. I offer to go with him but he always turns me down. Last time, I snuck a look and saw Shinjiro-senpai. Akihiko-senpai tried talking to him, but Shinjiro-senpai left afterwards extremely ticked off. This seems like a habitual routine though, but I really wonder what it is they talk about._ She stopped fiddling with the frequency when she heard a server speak.

"Hi, how are you today? Just one?"

Akihiko sat next to Shinjiro and pointed at him. "I'll have what he's having." This made the other boy turn to him with a grunt.

"Coming right up!" the server called out. "One house special!"

Akihiko smirked at his old friend. "How can you eat the same thing all the time, without getting sick of it?"

Shinjiro frowned at him. "Shut up. You always eat that protein shit."

"Hmph…" Akihiko watched as the server quickly returned with a bowl.

"Here you go, one house special! Be careful, it's hot!"

Akihiko pulled the bowl closer to him but lightly burned his fingers. "Yow, he wasn't kidding." He began eating before turning his head back towards Shinjiro. "You still haven't made up your mind?"

"Is that what this is about?" the taller boy roughly asked.

"We've got five new members. Things have changed quite a bit since you left. We're more aggressive now."

"I'm not interested," the boy narrowed his eyes on something hanging off the boxer's sleeve.

Akhiko didn't seem to notice though as he continued to berate the taller boy. "Think about it, Shinji. Don't let your power go to waste."

"My power ain't worth shit," Shinjiro spat out.

"Shinji!" Akihiko gave him a concerned glare.

"I made up my mind a long time ago. I ain't goin' back," he shook his head.

"You have to let the past go," Akihiko tried to convince him. "What's done is done. It's time you moved on."

"Hmph…" Shinjiro studied Akihiko's face. "You should talk."

"What?" Akihiko glared at him again.

"Face it," Shinjiro turned away from the counter. "You're no different than me." As he left, he purposefully brushed Akihiko, removing the bug from the boxer's sleeve.

"Ah…" Akihiko momentarily lost his balance as he tried to go after him. "Hey! Shinji!" He frowned as it was too late. The boxer glumly returned to his ramen as he tried to come up with another way to bring his friend back.

Hamuko quickly looked up as she saw Shinjiro leave the restaurant. Her eyes widened when she saw him holding the recorder to the sunlight. "What the hell is this?" she heard him say.

She quickly shut off her receiver but the boy spotted her. Hamuko thought she could make a run for it but the boy's longer legs caught up to her in no time at all.

"Hey, you come back here," he called for her. "If you don't, I'll tell Aki you bugged him."

Hamuko nervously turned around. "Looks like I've been caught," she lightly giggled.

"Hell yeah," the older boy shook his head. "If you're gonna bug a person, use their collar or somethin'. Aki's a dumbass so of course he didn't notice this hanging off his sleeve." He tossed the wiretap back to the girl. "So the hell do you want?"

"I was just curious about Senpai," she frowned at the older boy.

"Cut the crap," Shinjiro shook his head. "If you were curious, you'd just ask Aki about it. I see you both hangin' out sometimes."

"He won't give me a straight answer," the junior boldly pointed out. "Besides, you've got things you're hiding from him too."

"Yeah, like what?" He challenged her by looking directly into her red eyes.

Hamuko didn't flinch as she's dealt with his personality type before. _I don't really have anything on him actually._ She decided to bluff as she called him out on his heavy coat. "For one thing you're wearing a heavy jacket and beanie in the middle of summer. What, you're not hot?"

"This doesn't concern you," he scoffed, his eyes turning away from her. "Why don't you go back to the dorm?"

"See? You're dodging my question!" Hamuko smirked when she found she had the slight upper hand. "Even if you don't answer, I can just get my brother to find out for me. He's got a gift for revealing secrets," she shrugged.

 _Her brother?_ "Who? That blue-haired dope who looks like he can topple over anytime?"

"Don't insult my brother," Hamuko's face became red with anger.

 _Bingo…_ Shinjiro frowned as he didn't want that particular boy involved. _Tch, she probably doesn't know then. The kid's smart keeping it to himself._ "What? Your bro's gonna rough me up or somethin'? I could probably take him."

Hamuko lightly laughed at that. "Oh, please. I don't need Minato for that. I could take you, no problem."

"You sure?" He approached the girl and towered over her.

She nervously shrunk back. "O-okay, maybe I was bluffing that time." The way she was still smiling at him though made him take a step back.

 _The hell!? Miki?_ Shinjiro shook his head as he realized he shouldn't allow himself to get too involved with the brunette. Her cheery attitude was way too reminiscent of someone else he used to know and things did not end up well for him or his best friend. "Well, if you can't convince me to spill, I'm just gonna go then."

"W-wait!" Hamuko reached for his sleeve and pulled. She paused as she really didn't have any business with him. "U-um," she frowned as she found herself at a loss for words. "I-I'm Hamuko Arisato."

"Shinjiro Aragaki," the boy ended up replying, raising an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"A pleasure to meet you!" Hamuko let go of him and bowed. "Thanks again for the other night."

"Whatever," the brown-haired boy looked away, wondering why he was still here. "Don't let me catch you spyin' on Aki and me again."

"Sure thing, Senpai!" Hamuko waved as he left.

"I ain't your senpai either!" the boy gruffly called back as he disappeared into an alley.

 _He's almost as fun to mess with as nii-san,_ Hamuko giggled to herself before deciding to head back to the dorm. She smiled as she saw Mitsuru and Junpei already in the lounge. "Hey!"

"Welcome back," Mitsuru nodded at her. "We have two weeks until the moon is full again. Try to increase your strength as much as possible before then."

"Two weeks, huh." Junpei smirked. "I wonder what it'll look like this time… I have to admit, the suspense is killing me…"

"You're starting to sound like Akihiko," Mitsuru shook her head in worry. "Just remember, this is not a joke. That reminds me…" The redhead looked towards the front door. "Why is he not back yet?"

"He's prolly eating or somethin'," Junpei shrugged.

"Yeah, I saw him go to Hagakure's," Hamuko notified the senior. "Is Minato back?"

"No, but he already informed me he'll be out late investigating the new rumors on campus." Mitsuru picked up the book in her lap. "He asked me to give you a message actually. It doesn't make much sense to me, but he says it's a code only you'd understand."

"What is it?" Hamuko was surprised her brother didn't text this to her, but he must have been too busy.

"If I recall, he specifically said 'The Reaper is ferrying the Dead away'," Mitsuru frowned. "A rather morbid code, but that's it word for word."

Hamuko's eyes went wide with concern. "I see. Thank you for telling me, Senpai."

* * *

Minato frowned as he rewound the footage of the street camera. "Are you sure this is all that was recorded, Officer Kurosawa?"

The man gravely nodded to the boy. "Yeah. Weird, isn't it? One minute, the kid's standing, the next he'd on the ground, bleeding out."

"Can I get a copy of this?"

"No problem. Anything for Takuto's son," Officer Kurosawa smirked at him. "You know you look like him?"

Minato shrugged. "I _do_ take after my dad, but I have—"

"Your mom's face," the policeman nodded at him as he burned a CD for the boy. "Well, here you go. Pleasure doing business with you, Yuki." He slipped the wrapped disc carefully into a bag of weapons and armor.

"Thanks, Officer," the boy took the bag and waved goodbye.

"Tell the dorm I said hi," he smirked.

"Will do." Minato departed from the station and checked the time. He had some a few extra minutes to spare so headed straight towards Escapade.

The bouncer quickly unlocked the door for him when he recognized the boy approaching the club. "Mama's been expecting you, kid."

"Thanks," the boy nodded as he descended into the club. He smiled at the fortune teller. "Sorry I haven't been visiting lately. I had a lot to deal with."

"It seems you have two fortunes today," the lady smiled. "Would you like to hear them?"

"Of course," Minato said, taking his usual seat.

"Your first fortune is very light," the lady nodded as her crystal ball flashed in a bright light. "It seems you have made another friend… A late-night affair, unseen by all…" Pharos's shape took form. "A bond made in the darkness, where the shadows lurk… The result of this bond is too distant to be seen…" Pharos cast two shadows, one of a phantom-like Reaper and the other of a boy that Minato thought looked like him but with a long trailing scarf. The image slowly faded away. "You seem confused."

"It's the uncertainty of the future," Minato wryly smiled.

"Yes, fate is always changing. So long as you take responsibility for your actions, it seems you will do well, wherever you end up."

"Yes," Minato nodded, remembering his contract. "There are things I must do and I cannot hesitate when the time comes."

"Well said, bearer of light and shadow," Mama smiled at him. "Now for your second fortune. This one is darker, but I'm sure you'll be alright." Her crystal ball became shrouded in black mist. "Shadows within shadows… Many shadows crawl amidst the immense shadow… Twelve shadows, feasting upon the heart of man…" The smoke took the form of multiple Shadows gathered in a circle. Minato recognized the four he had already seen, but he couldn't study the other eight as all twelve pulled apart a figure in the center of the orb. "Monstrous, yet dignified… They gather around you…" When the Shadows finished, Minato saw himself in the center. The Shadows bowed to him, but Minato couldn't tell if it was out of reverence or defeat. "Beware…" The fortune teller gave him a grave frown as she prayed for his safety. "May your future be bright…"

Minato bowed as he stood up. On his way back to the dorm, he stared at his free hand. _Me… The Master of Shadow? Am I Death? Or am I the reverse of Death? I'm not a Reaper. I'm the Fool, right? I am Orpheus and Orpheus is me… I'm the Fool…_

* * *

~29 JUNE 2009~

Yukari carefully closed the door to the command room before turning to face the girl she invited up here. "Sorry to bother you, Fuuka…"

The teal-haired junior shook her head as she gave the brunette a reassuring smile. "It's okay… What's on your mind?"

"Well, um…" Yukari looked around the room. "I was hoping you could do me a favor, with your skill… Minato told me you were really good with computers and I know he is too, but I can't ask this from him since he's busy with his investigation. I was doing some research on our school, and I came across something strange… Ten years ago, a lot of students missed school for some reason. They were reported as absent, but I found some records that suggest it was something serious. Do you know anything about it, Fuuka?"

"Me?" Fuuka was surprised but shook her head. "Um, not really…"

"I know it was a long time ago, but…" Yukari looked at the girl seriously. "Doesn't it seem suspicious to you? From what I've heard, this isn't the first time Shadows have appeared…"

"Wait, are you saying…?" Fuuka's eyes grew wide.

"I don't know," Yukari shook her head. "But, I wonder… And I'm not trying to make trouble, but… Mitsuru-senpai acts kinda weird whenever someone asks questions about Tartarus."

"Does she...?" Fuuka didn't notice, but of course, she was often more concerned with making sure everyone was in good condition to explore the strange tower than anything else.

"I just wanna know what happened back then," Yukari seriously stated. "If it doesn't have anything to do with the Shadows, then fine."

Fuuka slowly nodded. "I understand. Okay, I'll see what I can do."

Downstairs, Minato wiped his hands dry as he finished the dishes. "Finally free, Hamuko?" he asked the girl eating ice cream straight out of the carton.

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded as she put the lid back on the carton and put it back in the fridge. She quickly rinsed her spoon and looked around the lounge. Junpei was currently watching TV there so she kept her voice low. "Mind explaining the 'coded message' to me, nii-san?"

"Like I told Senpai," the boy seriously began, "the Reaper is ferrying the dead. On nights we haven't been going to Tartarus, I've been up, watching the town. That message I left Senpai was to tell you what I've been seeing lately." Minato tilted his head towards the stairs. "I'll tell you the results up in the command room. We're not going to Tartarus tonight so brush your teeth, use the bathroom, whatever. The two of us will be there for the rest of the night."

"Got it!" Hamuko brightly smiled as it would mean a joint investigation.

Minato followed her up the stairs. He was already prepared for the night so went straight to the command room. Out of habit, he knocked on the door. Not thinking anyone was inside, he quickly entered to see a startled Fuuka and Yukari staring at him in surprise. "Hm?" He looked at the two girls suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"Relax," Yukari tried to smile at him. "We're just chit-chatting. What's with that look…?" The frown didn't disappear off the blue-haired boy's face. "Don't you trust me?"

The question made the boy's frown deepen. "If you're going to ask me that, no, I don't."

"I told you," the brunette tried to stare him down. "We're just talking. Ask Fuuka if you don't believe me… It's nothing, right Fuuka?"

Minato looked over to the quiet girl and she slightly tensed up before answering. "Um…" Her face slightly went pink. "It's just an ordinary conversation, really…" She gave the boy her best smile. "So, don't worry."

He shift his blue eyes between the two before letting it drop. With a sigh and a shrug, he went to the control panel. "Fine. I trust you."

Yukari smirked at him. "You better. Like I said, we were just talking."

"Then let me join in," the boy bluntly replied as a joke.

"Wh-what!?" Yukari hadn't expected that from him. "It's girl talk! Sorry, no boys… Now, go away!"

"Sorry, but I'm using the panel today," Minato shook his head. "And if it's girl talk, Hamuko will be up soon."

As if on cue, Hamuko came in. "I heard 'girl talk'!" She brightly beamed at the other two juniors. "Can I join in?"

"N-never mind," Yukari groaned.

Fuuka curiously stood at the boy's side as he pulled out a disc from his bag. "Do you mind if I stay, Minato-kun?"

"If you want to help me with this investigation, I don't mind." Minato looked towards Yukari. "Otherwise, as Yukari put it, go away."

"Nii-san," Hamuko sternly looked at him. "You're being short."

"I'm being serious," he retorted as he pulled out a few papers from his bag, handing them to Fuuka. "Those are all the murder reports from the past few days. I cross-referenced them to the time that revenge site started up and the surge of reports coincides with the spread of the rumors so sorry for 'being short'." The boy's frown became a scowl as he wondered why the console wasn't booting up as quickly as he'd like. "I don't have time to deal with nonsense right now." Minato turned his attention back to the console and frowned as he had to recalibrate the machine. "Damn, I missed a few weeks worth of checks, didn't I?" He pointed to the toolbox sitting on the bookshelf besides his twin. "Hamuko, my tools."

Hamuko wordlessly handed the kit to his brother and noticed how grave his expression was. "Sorry," she ended up saying to him as he pulled out a few tools. "I didn't think things would be that serious." She knit her eyebrows together as she realized something though. "Wait, you normally don't take murder cases."

"No, but these stood out," the boy replied as be pried open the cover of the console.

"You're right, Minato-kun." Fuuka quickly flipped through the reports and frowned. "This is strange. All of the victims died in the same way."

"Really?" Yukari looked over the girls shoulder to see what she was pointing to. "Wait, it just says the cause of death is from loss of blood due to gunshot wound. How is that weird?"

"Witness testimony says a gun was never fired at every crime scene," Fuuka showed the brunette the rest of the report. "It says on all of these that when the clock struck midnight, the victims would immediately be on the ground, dead. Witnesses around the victim say they heard no gunshot nor did they see the victim fall. The victims just immediately died in front of them, already bleeding out."

Satisfied with his calibrations, Minato stood back up. "Right. Now anyone have any guesses as to what might have happened?"

The three girls looked to each other as it was somewhat obvious. "The Dark Hour," Hamuko replied.

"Correct," the boy pointed at her. "It's not a huge leap from there to where we can connect this to the Shadows. But, there's something wrong with that line of reasoning. And that's because…?" Minato waited for someone to answer as he took the disc he received from Officer Kurosawa out from its case. When no one replied, he looked at Fuuka expectantly.

The girl's brown eyes widened as she realized she herself was the answer. "I have the ability to sense Shadows. I would have known if a Shadow escaped Tartarus. And if the Shadow didn't come from Tartarus, it would have been another one of those special Full Moon Shadows. This doesn't match our previously established pattern though."

"And Fuuka gets my last ice cream bar in the freezer," Minato nodded at her. "Another thing worthy of note is the gunshot itself. Shadows tear their victims apart." He frowned to himself as he tried to dismiss his memories of all of the Shadows and Reapers he's witnessed attacking people around him in the past. "And even if some of those normal Shadows we've faced were armed," he forced himself to continue, "those Shadows only use simple swords or arrows."

"So if it's not a Shadow, then what is it?" Yukari asked.

"We're probably dealing with other people with the Potential," Minato crossed his arms. "But again, Fuuka is proof that I'm wrong."

"What if I'm just not strong enough to scan outside of Tartarus, Minato-kun?" Fuuka suggested. "Just like Mitsuru-senpai."

"I don't think that'll be an issue here," the boy shook his head. "The nature of your scans is much different from Senpai's. I can vouch that you have a keener sense than her."

"What do you mean?" Hamuko looked at her brother oddly.

The blue-haired twin looked up at her and tapped the side of his forehead thoughtfully. Hamuko's eyes grew wide as she understood his message. _Fuuka is slightly sensitive to some of the things I see._ Out loud however, he nodded to the brown-eyed girl. "Fuuka, ever since your awakening, you've been more in tune with feeling the things around you, correct?"

The girl considered his words and thought back to the past couple of weeks. "That's right. It's like all of my senses have been altered a bit."

"I think that's attributed to Lucia's power. It's much the same way Hamuko and I have become much more flexible in thought through our repeated Persona changes. Of course, we're still defaulted to Orpheus, but as we grow, Orpheus' powers grow."

Hamuko smirked at how easily her brother skirted away from revealing their personal secret. "So if that's the case, something must be jamming Fuuka-chan's power. Do you have anything for that?"

Yukari crossed her arms. "The only thing that would be able to do that would have to be another Persona. But we're the only Persona-users."

"Don't be so sure about that," Minato said, pulling up files dating back to 1996. "The idea of Personas as a mask for life's hardships isn't anything new. It's hard to separate fact from fiction and I don't have anything definitive, but you can't say 'other Persona-users' isn't a possibility." He turned around to face the console. "Which is why I prepared this. It's footage of one of the incidents. A street camera recorded a victim as he was killed by the revenge site."

The three girls watched as a group of teenagers were smoking and drinking behind Port Island Station. On the bottom right hand corner of the screen was a clock, displaying the time for them. As soon as the timer hit midnight, one of the boys was on the ground, blood pouring from the wound that suddenly appeared on his chest. One of the other boys rushed to check a pulse, but it was too late. The victim was already gone.

Minato stopped the video and pulled it back. He fiddled with the console as he played it again. "Let's see if I can slow this down." He paused it before the midnight mark and zoomed in so he could get a better look. He pressed play once more and again, the boy went from standing to on the ground in an instant. It was as if the video cut the motion of him falling altogether. "As I thought…"

"He died during the Dark Hour," Yukari quietly said.

"The street cameras don't operate during the Dark Hour so it's not as if I can alter the video to show us what exactly happened," Minato shook his head as he replayed it in slow motion once more. He kept a careful eye on the Reaper that suddenly appeared at the second before midnight. The second after, the Reaper took the boy's soul away.

"H-hey, I think that's enough. Re-watching it won't change anything." Yukari was beginning to grow uncomfortable.

"This is an investigation. If you can't stomach it, you can leave," Minato said, annoyance evident in his voice. "Like I said before, I don't have time to deal with nonsense."

Yukari kept her mouth shut as she noticed how cold he was acting. _Wow, it's like he's become a different person._

Hamuko gave her friend an apologetic expression but she watched the screen again as he played it once more. She frowned as the victim's spirit left him as his life was taken. _So nii-san must have seen a lot more Reapers about lately_ , she thought. _I wonder who the culprit could be and why..._ She glanced over at her scowling brother before feeling a bit angry. _No, it doesn't matter why they're doing it. What they're doing is indirectly hurting nii-san._ She clenched her fists and turned her attention back to the screen. _It looks like I'll have to do a little digging myself I want to help lighten nii-san's load._

After playing it for a fifth time, Minato stopped and ejected the disc from the console. He stared at it for a while as he collected his thoughts. "It's most likely another Persona-user, but I can't see how they've avoided detection for so long. Fuuka's abilities should be more than enough to track them. And there's the point of their awakening to a Persona's power. They wouldn't even have Evokers. They could be summoning their Persona in a way completely different from us, but how did they escape our notice before they awoke? Kirijo-senpai's search network is near flawless when it comes to those with the Potential. After all, that's how Hamuko and I were found. I need someone with more information, but I've pretty much exhausted all of my resources." _Well, not all of them,_ Minato mused. _I could always ask Ikutsuki but that laughing Reaper…_

"Why not ask Shinjiro-senpai?" Hamuko finally spoke up.

"Shinjiro-senpai?" Minato slowly turned his seat to face her.

"You know, Shinjiro Aragaki!" The girl's face brightened. "He's friends with Akihiko-senpai."

Yukari smiled too. "Oh yeah! He helped us out when we were at Port Island Station."

"Aragaki?" Minato shook his head as he didn't even want to know how Hamuko learned the boy's full name. "I know who you're talking about. I just want to know why."

"He should know something considering he helped us with Fuuka-chan's case," Hamuko shrugged.

The teal-haired girl looked at them in surprise. "If he does, then why don't we—?"

"Out of the question," Minato shook his head. "That alleyway behind Tatsumi Port Island is dangerous," he explained to Fuuka. "The last time we were there Junpei took a beating and Aragaki-senpai had to fetch us out of danger. You saw the video. Those are the types of people that hang around in that area."

Hamuko shook her head. "But what if—?"

"No," Minato sternly cut her off.

"Or how about—?"

"No!" The older twin gave her a glare. "No one in this dorm is to go to Port Island Station at night, understood? I'll be updating Kirijo-senpai with that order too so don't even try to worm your way around this, Hamuko."

Hamuko looked down in disappointment. "F-fine."

Relieved she wasn't being as stubborn as she could have, Minato relaxed in his seat. "Good. Now I guess that's all I have on this case for now." He looked to Yukari and Fuuka and bowed his head to them in thanks. "Thank you for your cooperation and assistance."

"I have a question before we turn in," Yukari spoke up. "Does this case actually have anything to do with the next operation coming up?"

"Nope," the blue-haired boy replied. "This was something I found noteworthy to look into. There _is_ a new rumor I want to look into that might have to deal with the next operation, but I can't be too sure yet. I'll let the rumor mill run a little longer before sorting through that mess. Anything else you want to ask?"

"No, I'm good," Yukari shook her head. She gave the boy an impressed smirk. "You really are Gekkoukan's Hellhound."

"I hardly think this is anything to be impressed at," Minato gave the archer a deadpanned stare.

"You're a very good detective, Minato-kun," Fuuka smiled at him as her eyes glowed in admiration. "Now I see how you all found me."

"H-hey, I think you two are starting to get carried away," the junior shifted his eyes to the side. "Honestly… This is really nothing."

"And nii-san's back," Hamuko smirked as she ruffled his hair.

"Ah, knock it off," the boy shook his head to fix his hair before slowly packing away his things.

Yukari and Fuuka chuckled at the twins before Yukari glanced up at the wall clock. "Well, it's getting late. Good night, everyone."

Fuuka nodded as she followed the brunette out. "This was actually quite fun, Minato-kun. Have a nice night."

Hamuko waited until the two girls were completely gone before worriedly frowning at her brother. "So Fuuka-chan sensed your Reapers?"

"Not really..." Minato lowered his gaze. "Do you remember that day we saw Koromaru?" Hamuko nodded as Minato put his toolbox back onto the shelf. "I saw a Reaper cloud. It was the same as the ones I saw back when we awakened. I think Koromaru has the Potential."

"What does that have to do with Fuuka-chan?" The younger twin crossed her arms.

"She sensed Koromaru's budding Persona," Minato said, blue eyes shining. They became dull again as he frowned to himself. "At least, I think she did. It's either that or Lucia is reacting a bit to my own 'power'." He quickly shook his head as he couldn't say for sure. "We'll see what comes of this eventually. For now, I need to sleep on what we just went over." His frown deepened into a scowl. "I don't want to ask Ikutsuki because I feel this investigation involves him somehow. I have a theory, but I couldn't bring it up while Yukari and Fuuka were here. If an Evoker is needed to summon a Persona, Ikutsuki could easily provide one, but I lack motive. What does he gain from having a renegade Persona-user?"

"Well, we can always ask Shinjiro-senpai," Hamuko tried once more.

"No," her brother rolled her eyes. "No more Port Island Station at night." The boy picked up his bag and started for his room.

 _Fine,_ Hamuko wore a determined frown as she closed the door to the command room and followed him down. _I won't go at night._

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Hamuko spiked the ball over the net and smirked. "Sweet!"

Rio smiled at her brightly. "You did great today, Hamuko. Let's get cleaned up and head to Wuck's."

"Alright!" The red-eyed girl began picking up the scattered volleyballs. "You were amazing today, too, Rio! You should show me how you can jump so high."

"Okay, maybe next—"

"RIO!" A voice called out towards them from the gym door. "I need to borrow your notes!" A brown-haired boy quickly jogged towards them, in a panic.

"Hey, Kenji. Volleyball practice is still in session!" Minato sternly scolded him as he carefully looked around the gym before entering. "You can't just barge in!"

"Hi, Minato-san." Rio waved at the blue-haired boy before glaring at Kenji. "Why do you need them this time?"

"Ms. Kanou wants to take me out for some ramen, but Toriumi's keeping me on campus until I finish yesterday's assignment. Yours isn't due until tomorrow, right? Let me see your notes!"

"Why don't you ask nii-san for his?" Hamuko looked over at his brother.

"I sleep in class, remember?" Minato shrugged.

"Come on, Rio! I'll make it up to you!" Kenji got down to his knees and begged the volleyball player.

Rio looked away, annoyance evident on her face. "Fine! But I'd better have them back tonight! Otherwise, I'm going to visit your house and tell your mom."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver!" Kenji quickly grabbed the papers she handed to him and ran. "Sorry to leave you hanging, Minato, but Emiri's waiting for me."

"H-hey!" Minato watched the boy run past him and sighed. "I'm telling you to be careful!" The brunet didn't seem to care as he was already gone. "That idiot. How does he think this will end?"

"He's lost in his own world," Hamuko shrugged.

Rio shook her head. "I wish he'd realize she's just using him though," she sighed.

Minato studied the dark-haired girl's face and frowned. "Honestly, he has someone who cares about him right in front of him and he doesn't even notice. What an idiot."

Rio's face went red. "H-huh? What do you mean?"

The boy blinked at her. "Hm?"

Hamuko laughed at the two. "You're one to talk, nii-san." She smirked at her older brother. "Hey, after we clean up, want to grab a burger with us?"

Minato smoothly kicked a nearby volleyball into the air and caught it. "Sure."

"Hey, you don't have to help," Rio pointed out as she gathered the other volleyballs.

"I might as well seeing how I have nothing else to do. Kenji and I were supposed to get some ramen before Kanou invited him out. I swear you're too easy on him, Iwasaki." Minato rolled the basket of volleyballs towards them. "If you like him, just tell him."

"Wh-what?" Rio's face went red again. "I-I don't like Kenji!"

Hamuko giggled as she lightly hit her brother's head. "He's just teasing, Rio. After all, nii-san isn't the brightest when it comes to dating and relationships."

"O-okay," Rio frowned at the twins. "You're right, Hamuko!" She finally became fired up. "B-besides, it's not like I'm jealous of Ms. Kanou! What do I care if Kenji's dating her?"

"I'm pretty sure Kenji isn't actually dating Kanou," Minato sighed. _Really… Dating is so complicated. Good thing I keep out of stuff like this._ He watched as the taller volleyball player wandered to the basket of volleyballs. "Hey, will she be okay?" he murmured to his sister.

"Rio's fine!" Hamuko smirked, only to see her friend absently crash into the pole holding up the volleyball net. "I think…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I really liked hanging out with Rio. The same cannot be said for Kenji... I wouldn't mind Junpei being a Social Link. It might have made me like him more, but nope. I still also wish Shinjiro was made more available but... he's a thing... He's definitely a lot better than Nozomi though. Did anyone genuinely enjoy Minato's Moon Link? A lot of the Social Links for Minato are questionable actually... There were very few I really, really liked. Using the above Links I listed, I really enjoy Hidetoshi, Mutatsu, and Toriumi. Fuuka's Social Link is so boring... I still love her though. I have to wonder though... Why did they reuse the 'I can't cook' thing for Yukiko? Is being a horrible cook a Priestess thing? And you know what else? Is making toxic friendships also a Priestess thing? I still don't quite understand Fuuka's friendship with Natsuki. But that's a rant for another time, I suppose...


	18. Love & Hate Tends to Burn the Same Way

**Author's Notes:** Woke up early again... But that's fine. This is one of my longer chapters. It's also one of my favorite operations. Well... sorta... I like it when the operations are more interactive. It's not just hunt and destroy the Shadow. I just wish they put in more puzzle-type things for each of the operations. That said, these bosses are pretty easy too...

* * *

~30 JUNE 2009~

Hamuko took a deep breath before heading straight into the back alley behind Port Island Station. It was still early enough that there weren't as many hoodlums around, but as school just ended, more and more teenagers were beginning to gather. The brunette frowned as her proper Gekkoukan uniform made her she stick out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, what's a cutie like you doing here?" A boy whistled at her. "You lost?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, resulting in the boy flinching from how intensely red they were. "I'm looking for a friend," she responded, unfazed by the crowd around her. "Shinjiro Aragaki?"

"Oh wow," the boy's friend chuckled. "I didn' think Shinjiro could pick up girls like you. Sorry, toots. If you're lookin' for Shinjiro, he ain't here today."

"It's important that I see him though," Hamuko didn't move as she made sure to keep an eye on her surroundings.

"What? He get you pregnant or somethin'?" The first boy snickered. "Proper girl like you should get before an accident happens."

Hamuko got into a fighting stance as they got close to her but a rough voiced called out to them. "The hell's goin' on?"

"Shinjiro-san!" Hamuko's face lit up as she saw the boy's beanie past the two ruffians.

"Hamuko?" The brunet looked at her oddly. "Why the hell are you here? I told you to never come back here." He decided to let it go as he glared at the two boys between them. "And you two. You need somethin' from her?"

"Oh, shit. She really does know Shinjiro!" The second boy backed away. "Let's get outta here, man!"

The junior watched the boys run away as Shinjiro approached her. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for saving me again, Shinjiro-san," she bowed.

"I wouldn't have to save ya if you listened to me," he roughly scolded her. "Now the hell you want with me? Aki ask you to come here?"

"No, I came looking for you myself," Hamuko shook her head. "Minato's investigating something about the Dark Hour and he ran out of leads."

"Then why ain't he here himself?" Shinjiro asked the girl.

"He doesn't know I'm here," she seriously looked up at the older boy. She frowned when she noticed the boy's steel grey eyes glowed with a lifeless light, similar to one she often saw on her own brother. It was a look she absolutely hated to see on Minato, so for her to see it on Shinjiro concerned her. It didn't help that it made the tall boy appear extremely gaunt so she quickly began pulling on his sleeve. "Hey, let's get a beef bowl," she offered. "I'll pay in return for your help and information."

 _What's she playin' at now?_ The boy frowned at her before noticing she was completely serious about her offer. Seeing as she probably wasn't going to take no for an answer, Shinjiro sighed. "Fine. But don't be disappointed if I don't have shit to say."

"That's fine," Hamuko giggled, relieved he didn't turn her down.

"Tch," Shinjiro shook his head at her as the two of them began walking together. "You're either brave or stupid to be hangin' with me, you know that?"

"If I were stupid, I'd have been dead in the gutter already," Hamuko morbidly joked. "Besides, you're not stupid enough to try anything with me. After all, you know I'm friends with Akihiko-senpai."

They entered Umiushi and sat in the most remote table they could find. Shinjiro looked through the menu and frowned at how unbalanced the meals were. "I hope you don't mind if I order for us both," he told her as a server came up to them.

"No, that's fine," Hamuko watched as the boy sternly looked to the man taking their order.

"Okay, two orders of the first combination meal. Extra vegetables with half of the normal portion of beef. Keep the sauce on the side and bring us some extra rice too."

"Very well, sir," the server nodded as he jotted down all of Shinjiro's requests.

The red-eyed girl was rather impressed by his specifications so as she stared at him with wide eyes. Noticing her gaze, the brunet frowned at her. "I don't like how they serve the beef bowls," he explained. "Aki might be fine with all the meat, but I ain't okay with it. Kids like you need a proper diet, especially since you're all livin' in the dorms."

"You're very considerate, Shinjiro-san," Hamuko smiled.

"Like hell I am," the older boy slightly tugged his beanie down to cover his slight blush. He shook his head and fixed it before glaring at her. "So what's your brother lookin' into?"

Hamuko quickly became serious as she looked into his grey eyes. "The revenge sites. Nii-san thinks there's a renegade Persona-user running around during the Dark Hour killing people but he doesn't have proof. He also doesn't have the means of going after them."

"What? Mitsuru can't scan for 'em?"

Hamuko shook her head. "We have a new member who nii-san says is a lot better at scanning than Mitsuru-senpai. Senpai's fighting alongside us now while Fuuka-chan, the girl we rescued last month, is our new support."

"So you guys did save her," Shinjiro crossed his arms. "So why the hell are you comin' to me?"

Hamuko remained silent as the server returned, setting out their orders before them. The girl smiled as it was presented to them exactly as Shinjiro had asked. "Thank you," she looked up at the worker as he left them alone. She picked up her chopsticks and was about to pour the soy sauce all over her beef when the boy across from her audibly groaned.

"Don't drown it in the sauce!" he scolded her. "You know how much sodium's in it? I asked to keep it on the side just so it'd be easier to control how much of that shit you use."

"Oh," the girl's face went red. "S-sorry." She put the sauce back down and began eating.

"So you gonna answer me or what?" Shinjiro picked up his chopsticks and bowl as he eyed her carefully. "We ain't that close. Hell, we're strangers. Why ask me for info?"

"You're a Persona-user too," Hamuko responded before shoveling rice into her mouth.

"The crap's a Persona?" the boy frowned at her.

"You can't play dumb with me, Shinjiro-san," the girl smirked as she already caught him in a trap. "I already mentioned Persona-users and the Dark Hour and you even asked about Mitsuru-senpai's scanning ability. You used to be a part of SEES."

"Aki tell you that?" His eyes narrowed.

"No, I put it together myself," Hamuko shook her head. "Akihiko-senpai doesn't talk to me much about you. All I know is that you quit before Yukari joined." Hamuko noticed how Shinjiro visibly relaxed a bit but that lifeless light in his eyes seemed to grow darker. "Why'd you leave?"

"It ain't your business to know why I quit," Shinjiro frowned, quickly snapping himself out of his own thoughts. "But I guess I can't deny that I was a part of SEES. So what? Is your brother suspicious of me or something? You think I'm the one causin' the Dark Hour murders?"

Hamuko shook her head. "Minato doesn't know anything about you other than your name. In fact, he doesn't even know I went looking for you to get information for him. As for the murders," Hamuko took a moment to study the older boy's face and saw a gentle kindness in his features that was definitely reminiscent of her brother, "I don't think you're that type of person. I trust you."

"You know jack shit about me," he bluntly said to her. "You just gonna put your trust in me, simple as that?"

"I'm pretty good at gambling, much to nii-san's chagrin. I think I can put my life in your hands." Hamuko smirked at him.

"You're gonna get yourself killed thinkin' like that," Shinjiro shook his head. "Alright fine. So you know I'm a Persona-user outside of SEES, but you don't think I'm the killer. What else does that leave you?"

"You have to know _something_ about another Persona-user, right?" Hamuko tried. "Even if it's just a rumor or a passing comment you heard in the back alley, there's got to be _something_ you know."

Shinjiro noticed the desperation growing in her eyes. "Why are you tryin' so hard at this investigation for?"

Hamuko frowned to herself as she considered her answer. She had no intention of lying about her reason, of course, but it was difficult for her to admit it out loud because how she felt about her brother was something she truly treasured. It wasn't just something she could just easily share with others, but as she looked up at Shinjiro, she couldn't help but feel that he'd at least somewhat understand how much this meant to her.

After taking in a shaky breath, she meekly answered. "I want to help my brother..."

While that statement was rather obvious to him, Shinjiro sternly frowned as he focused on the way she said it. Her tone lacked the playful confidence she had exuded earlier. In fact, it was rather surprising to see her bright cheeriness crumble into nothing as she laid her feelings bare to him. In the end, he found himself avoiding her agonizing gaze. "Yeah...?"

Hamuko bitterly smiled at herself. "I know you don't have any reason to help me, but nii-san means everything to me. That's why I'm willing to do whatever it takes just so I don't have to lose him." She closed her eyes as she began to practically beg for the older boy's help. "So please, Shinjiro-san...!"

Shinjiro painfully watched the girl as she did her best to hold herself together in front of him. _Yeah,_ he clenched his teeth together in frustration, _she really is just like Miki... But just what the hell am I supposed to say to her?_ He carefully tried to consider his choices, but it was impossible for him to work out a response that would both assist Hamuko and allow him to distance himself from his past. _I could tell her about_ those _guys, but if they find out I talked, I'll probably lose access to those meds. If word about that even gets out to Aki, I'm even more screwed... But I seriously can't just leave her hanging like this..._ In the end, he let out a heavy sigh as he decided he would remain silent about what he knew. "Sorry..." he shook his head at her. "But I haven't heard anything..."

It took the girl a while to calm herself down but when she did, she lifted her gaze to look up at the older boy. "I-I'm sorry for disturbing you then," she said with a forced smile.

Shinjiro frowned to himself as he hated the way the girl was doing her best to mask her massive disappointment. "Hey," he said as he stood from his seat, "You don't have to force yourself to smile like that. You look a lot better when it comes from your heart."

The girl looked up at him in surprise as her cheeks began to glow pink. "S-senpai?"

 _Ah, shit…_ The brunet quickly looked away as his face grew warm. "I-I ain't your senpai." He took a moment to recollect himself before shaking his head. "Thanks for the meal though. I'm really sorry things didn't work out, but don't worry about your brother. I'll try digging around the back alleys for anything that might help. If something does come up, I'll let you know, alright?"

This seemed to be enough to cheer Hamuko up as a grateful smile managed to make its way to her face. "Thank you, Shinjiro-san..."

"D-don't mention it," Shinjiro smiled as the girl went up to the counter to pay for their meal. _Yeah,_ he sighed while pulling his beanie down over his eyes. _Her smile really is amazing… Goddamn, I'm such a sap..._

* * *

Minato woke up when he sensed Pharos's presence. "Hi." The boy smiled up at him as the older boy sat up in his bed. "Can you guess what I'm going to tell you?"

"I think so," Minato said with a yawn.

Pharos chuckled at him. "You're used to it by now, huh?"

"Pretty much," the older boy smirked back.

"The next full moon will be in one week," the young boy reminded him. "Are you prepared…? Be careful, okay?" His blue eyes shone with worry.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine," Minato nodded to him as Pharos began to disappear.

"I'll come again," the young boy smiled.

* * *

~6 JULY 2009~

Minato let out a frustrated sigh as he reached a dead end in his murder investigation. _I guess I should have a word with Ikustuki then,_ he scowled. _It doesn't help that his damn Reaper laughs every time it looks at me though. Even more so when he speaks. Maybe I should consider asking Hamuko to go to Port Island Station with me… Or at least be nearby when I speak to the Chairman… Ugh… No good. Port Island Station would just be trouble. And it'd be too suspicious if both of us questioned the Chairman at once._

The boy looked up when he heard someone knocking on his bedroom door. "Nii-san?" Hamuko called out to him from outside. "Are you in there?"

"Come in!" he called out, putting his file away as his sister entered his room.

Hamuko smiled at him and did her best to ignore all of the various case files on his desk. "Junpei wants to know if we're going to Tartarus tonight."

"We have an operation tomorrow," Minato pointed out. "So no. Tell him to rest up, otherwise he's going to be on guard duty."

"Sure thing," his younger sister nodded. Hamuko stayed a while longer to study her brother before she noticed the tired look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"My investigation on the murders is stuck," the boy sighed. "I guess I'll have to put that on hold for now."

"Well, what about your secondary investigation? You know, the one about those rumors about the disappearing couples and stuff like that."

"It's a pretty boring case," he shrugged as he pulled out the corresponding file and absently flipped through it. "I already put together a good theory and passed it onto Kirijo-senpai and Fuuka. We'll see the conclusion for that case tomorrow during the operation, so don't worry about it."

"Alright then." Hamuko frowned in disappointment as she continued to watch her brother shuffle his papers around. "I'm sorry I can't help you more with your murder case, nii-san..." she muttered while lowering her gaze to the floor. She paused though when her brother was suddenly in front of her.

"It's fine, Hamuko," he promptly hugged her in an attempt to cheer her up. "You do enough for me already, so take it easy, okay?"

Hamuko smiled as she returned his hug. "Sure thing, nii-san."

"Good," Minato nodded as he slowly let go of her. "I want us in top condition tomorrow so don't forget to drop by the Velvet Room before it gets too late. You might not get a chance to reorganize our Personas tomorrow, so might as well get that done now."

"I'd better head on over then," Hamuko nodded to him as she turned to leave. "Don't stay up too late tonight, nii-san."

"I won't," Minato smiled at her while returning to his desk. The older boy waved at her as she closed the door. When he was once again alone, he let out a heavy sigh before picking up his secondary case file and going through its details again. _Shirakawa Boulevard… The next Arcana is the Hierophant so why…?_ Minato's eyes widened a bit as he groaned. "Don't tell me we're facing two tomorrow?" The boy quickly left his room and carefully jogged up the stairs. He paused in front of Fuuka's bedroom and after taking a deep breath, he lightly knocked. "Fuuka? Are you busy? It's me."

He heard some shuffling inside as the girl cracked the door open. "Minato-kun?" she frowned in confusion as she stepped out of her room. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing important, but there was something I wanted to add to our operation tomorrow. Don't just scan for a Hierophant Shadow, okay? There might be a Lovers Shadow too."

The brown-eyed girl nodded in understanding. "Alright then." She noticed that the boy didn't seem too well. "Minato-kun?" She stepped closer to the boy and placed a hand on his forehead. "You're not sick, are you?"

"N-no, I'm fine," he replied. His cheeks went a bit red as the girl touched him.

"You're a bit warm," Fuuka pointed out in concern.

"It's nothing," he insisted. "I was going to bed after this anyways. I'll be completely better tomorrow. I promise."

The teal-haired girl studied his face a bit more. "Okay. Make sure you get enough rest though, Minato-kun. I don't want your health to negatively affect you tomorrow."

"It'll be alright," he reassured her with a serious expression. "I won't let anyone get into danger tomorrow."

"That's right," Fuuka thought back to the boy's fighting style. "But don't forget that I'll be supporting you too, so please don't push yourself too hard."

The boy gave her a small smile. "I never have to when I know you're watching my back, Fuuka." He realized what he just said and turned away from the blushing girl. "A-anyways, I'm off to bed. Night, Fuuka."

"G-good night, Minato-kun." Fuuka watched him go downstairs before returning to her room. She smiled at his kind words before deciding she should also retire for the night. _Minato-kun is counting on me tomorrow, so I'd better give it my all too_.

* * *

~7 JULY 2009~

Akihiko turned his head away from the window. "Any luck, Fuuka?"

The girl slightly frowned as she finally found what she was looking for. _"Just a moment…"_ It didn't take her as long as she though, thanks to a bit of direction from Minato's investigation. _"I found it! I sense a strong presence!"_

"Hey," Junpei smirked. "We were right!"

"Or so it would seem," Ikutsuki nodded with a smile.

Minato shook away the growing uneasiness inside him as he focused on their navigator. "So where is it, Fuuka?"

 _"It's located in Iwatodai… Inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard. It's just as you predicted, Minato-kun!"_

"Hmm," Ikutsuki thought about it. "Shirakawa Boulevard… They've been finding The Lost in pairs lately… Now I understand why."

"In pairs…" Mitsuru's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, I get it."

Minato crossed his arms with a frown as he had been hoping to have been wrong. Lucia disappeared beside him and Fuuka gave him a confused glance. "Why, what's on Shirakawa Boulevard? I'm not familiar with that area…"

A frown appeared on Yukari's face. "I've heard about it, but…"

Junpei smirked as he realized what was going on too. "That's where all THOSE hotels are. That explains a lot! You've heard about 'em, right Fuuka? Where people go to… you know…"

Fuuka blushed as she looked towards Minato. The Gekkoukan Hellhound avoided her gaze though as he distastefully frowned to himself. "Yeah… My investigation led me there, but I was hoping to have been wrong this time."

"Well, it's not like you're a pervert," Hamuko laughed.

"Please stop with the jokes, Hamuko," the older twin sighed. "I can't believe we'll have to fight in a Love Hotel. I'm actually more nervous about the location than the Shadow."

"Nonsense…" Ikutsuki shook his head. "They're no different from ordinary hotels. The rooms are a bit fancier, that's all."

"Aw man," Junpei sighed in disappointment. "That's it?"

"Even more, should we be worried about how Ikutsuki-san knows what they're like?" Hamuko crookedly smirked.

"Mm," Ikutsuki frowned. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't have you checking out my secrets."

Hamuko chuckled at that. "Oh, trying to protect a young maid's heart, perhaps?"

"I think that's enough out of you two," Minato frowned at them. "Anyway, is everyone ready to head out?"

"I don't know about this…" Yukari crossed her arms. "Maybe I shouldn't go…"

"You're just like a little kid, Yuka-tan…" Junpei teased her with a shake of his head.

The girl's face went red with anger. "Wh-whatever! Fine. Let's go. But this time, I want a piece of the action! So," she turned to Mitsuru, "who's gonna take the lead?"

The redhead looked over to Minato. "I don't see any reason to change leaders now. And Yamagishi," she nodded at their newest member, "I want you to handle support during the operation."

"I'll do my best!" Fuuka cried out with determination.

Akihiko smirked at their blue-haired leader. "Alright, then I'll let you decide on the rest of the team. Let's do this."

"Leave it to me," Minato nodded to the senior before looking over the remaining members. "Hamuko, Junpei, you're with us. Senpai, I'm counting on you two to watch Fuuka." Checking his team once more, Minato lifted his sword and pointed his head to the door. "Let's get going."

They quickly made it to the love hotel and Minato studied the building carefully as Fuuka summoned Lucia. _"I sense a powerful Shadow on the 3_ _rd_ _floor! Please head there immediately!"_

Yukari, Junpei, and Hamuko started inside, but Minato slowly passed Fuuka. "You don't sense any Shadow under the Lovers Arcana?"

 _"No,"_ Fuuka privately told him. _"It's only the one Shadow."_

"Okay, but keep your eyes peeled. I have a bad feeling about this." Minato rotated his wrist and heard a slight crack, releasing some tension in his hand.

 _"Understood,"_ she nodded as the leader quickly caught up to the other juniors.

The four teens quickly made it to the room Fuuka warned them about and Hamuko looked to her brother with concern. She could practically feel the Shadow's energy emanating from inside. Minato nodded in agreement to what she was thinking before he led their charge into the room.

Yukari's eyes widened at the Hierophant Shadow. "Why here, of all places…?" she complained to the Shadow. After a while, she shook her head as it wasn't like the creature could answer. "Well, let's just get this over with!"

"Fuuka, start scanning!" Minato called into his headset.

 _"Right!"_ She let out a sharp gasp. _"Junpei! Look out!"_

The capped boy dodged out of the way of the lightning bolt. "Hermes! Double Fangs!" His Persona pierced the Shadow twice before disappearing. As soon as it vanished, Hamuko appeared from the Shadow's blind spot and swiftly swung her naginata. "Alright, Hamuko!" he cheered her on.

Minato rolled out of the way of the Shadow's fist and brought his blade up to counter another blow. "Any weakness yet, Fuuka?"

 _"No weaknesses! It reflects electricity!"_

"Good to know!" he called out before switching his Persona from Zouchouten to High Pixie. "Bufula!"

Ice struck the large Shadow as it tried to attack him again. Although it missed, the obese male figure laughed as it cast a spell on Minato. The boy frowned when noticed his legs getting heavy as he eventually lost his agility.

"Nii-san, look out!" Hamuko pushed him away from a bolt of lightning as she pulled out her Evoker. "Valkyrie!" The female warrior raised her blades as she critically wounded the large Shadow. The summoner's smirk grew as the Hierophant doubled back. "Nice! Full Moon bonus!"

After an All-Out Attack, Yukari fired a few rounds of arrows before she called out to her friend. "Hamuko! Get back!"

 _"It's about to use Swift Strike!"_ Fuuka warned them.

Minato clenched his teeth as he realized he wouldn't be able to get away from the strike fast enough, but looking over his shoulder, he saw his sister still standing in place. "Hamuko!" He managed to pull her behind him and take the critical hit for her. "Urgh!"

Junpei guarded against the attack and quickly pulled up his Evoker. "Don't worry, dude! I've got your back!" He slashed at the Shadow once more before jumping back. "Hermes!"

Minato raised his hand into the air as he felt the Persona pull him back to his feet. "Thanks, Junpei!" He distanced himself from the Shadow and summoned High Pixie again. "Media!" After refreshing the team's health a bit, Minato nodded to his sister. "Go for another Getsu-ei!"

"On it!" Hamuko lifted her Evoker to her head. "Valkyrie!" Her Persona jammed her blades into the Hierophant and Hamuko watched as it toppled. She blinked when she saw it glow a bit, but it soon faded into nothing. _That was weird…_

Minato noticed too as the Heirophant reached towards his sister before dying. He couldn't spend too long on his thoughts though because Fuuka's voice quickly echoed through his mind. _"Good job. You succeeded once again. I'll be waiting outside for you."_

"Thanks for your help, Fuuka," Minato said back as he made his way to the door. "You did great for your first—Hrm?" Minato frowned as he couldn't get the door to open. "It's stuck..."

Fuuka tensed up as she also sensed something strange. _"Huh!? I still sense a Shadow in that room! It's not the same one you defeated!"_ She paused as she tried to get a good reading on the second Shadow. _"Minato-kun! You were right about there being a Lovers Shadow! But… where is it hiding?"_

"Spread out and check anything suspicious," Minato ordered his team. "Be careful! I sense a trap!"

"Why would the Shadow want to keep us here?" Junpei frowned as he checked under the bed.

"Who knows? But I don't like this one bit," Hamuko sighed as she went into the bathroom.

Minato stood in place as he took in the entire scene. He paused when he noticed a mirror, but he didn't see his own reflection from he stood. He walked towards it and realized he couldn't see anyone reflected in it. Yukari noticed too and walked up behind him. "Hm? Is it just me, or is there something strange about this mirror?"

 _"Minato-kun! Be careful!"_

A flash of light blinded them and the two felt as though they were being pulled into the mirror. When Minato managed to come back to his senses, he felt a dull throbbing in his skull. _What?_ He lifted his gaze and noticed he was sitting on the edge of a tacky heart-shaped bed with his shirt partially unbuttoned. A sickly sweet scent permeated the room and as he continued to breathe it in, his head began to hurt even more. He closed his eyes and tried to focus though before he noticed the sound of running water in the background. _What's going on? What was I…?_ He tried to think back to what he had been doing before. He recalled someone calling out for him to be careful, but who was it that called out to him?

After a while though his thoughts were broken when a strangely soft voice crept into his mind, whispering to him. _"Embrace your desire…"_ Minato opened his eyes and looked around, searching for the source of the voice. _"I am the voice of your inner self… Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have."_

"That's not true," Minato muttered, shaking his head.

 _"The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…"_

 _No…_ "I can't give in…" The boy began buttoning up his shirt.

 _"Pleasure is what you truly want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…"_

Annoyed, Minato stood up and smoothed out his clothes. "Now's not the time…" Once his mind cleared, he walked towards the exit but suddenly realized someone was in the shower. He paused outside the bathroom door as it opened, revealing Yukari in nothing but a towel. He immediately turned around with a sigh. _This is just great_ _…_

"Uh… What was I..?" A bit confused, Yukari fanned away the steam surrounding her and focused on the boy whose back was turned towards her. She let out a gasp and a scream before hitting Minato on the back of his head, despite the fact he wasn't even looking at her.

"Ow! What was that for?" Minato rubbed his head.

Yukari paused for a moment before frowning to herself as she realized she may have been out of line, hitting him like that. "Er... Sorry... I panicked." The two of them stood there in awkward silence for quite some time before Minato let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, don't just stand there," he impatiently shook his head. "Hurry up and get dressed already!"

"R-right!" Yukari quickly locked herself back in the bathroom. She let out a sigh as she heard Minato mumbling to himself outside.

"Goddamn Shadow... What the hell does it think it's doing?" the blue-haired swordsman scowled while searching the room for his equipment. "And where the hell's our stuff?" He finally spotted his supply bag next to the bed but as he bent down to pick it up, he felt something strange tugging at the corners of his mind. "Fuuka?"

 _"Oh, I can finally reach you!"_ the navigator happily exclaimed as Lucia managed to lock down their connection. _"Can you hear me, Minato-kun?"_

"I hear you," Minato nodded as he put on his headset. "What's going on?"

 _"I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner…"_ Fuuka apologized. _"The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts… And you all got separated…_ _The enemy is still in the same room. I'm still trying to contact Hamuko-chan and Junpei-kun. Once I do, please hurry and regroup."_ Fuuka paused for a moment as she sensed someone else was there with Minato. _"Did you hear that, Yukari-chan?"_

Yukari tried to control her heart rate as she responded to the navigator. "Uh, sorry… Yeah… I heard you."

 _"Um… Did something happen?"_

"No! Nothing!" The brunette buried her face in her hands.

"Don't worry about it, Fuuka. We're fine," Minato reassured her while fiddling with the frequency settings on his transceiver. "Just focus on finding Hamuko for now. I can't seem to get my radio working for some reason."

 _"Okay, I'll get back to you as soon as I can then."_

"I'll be waiting," Minato nodded as he continued adjusting his headset. He finally looked up when Yukari came out of the bathroom so shot her a deadly glare as he returned the girl her bow. "Mention any this to Hamuko and you're dead."

"Relax," Yukari rolled her eyes. "It's not like I want Junpei or anyone else knowing what happened either. Besides, if I were you, I'd be more worried about…" She shook her head. "Never mind. Come on! Let's go! If you tell anyone… I won't ever speak to you again."

"Yeah, I got it," Minato nodded as they made a pact to never bring this up.

 _"I'm sorry…"_ Fuuka sounded a bit down as they exited the room. _"I tried my best to scan for another Shadow, but its power is blanketing the whole building, disrupting our communication channels. I'm pretty sure it's in that one room you were in before… But, it somehow sealed the door, so I don't think you'll be able to get in. I'll try to find out if there's a way to break the seal… I managed to find Hamuko-chan and Junpei-kun though. Please join them. They're on the floor above you."_

"Thanks, Fuuka. Don't worry about us and look for a way in. I'm counting on you," Minato smiled. Yukari hid her light laughter behind a hand, resulting in the boy raising an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Yeah. Don't bring this up with Fuuka."

"Why would I? It never happened."

"Right," Yukari nodded. "It never happened."

* * *

Hamuko got out of the bathroom just as Minato and Yukari disappeared into the mirror. "Nii-san!" She rushed towards the reflective surface in worry. "Fuuka-chan! What happened? Minato and Yukari just disappeared right in front of us!"

 _"I'm not sure! The Shadow's still in the room with you and Junpei-kun though. Be careful!"_

Junpei stood by Hamuko and noticed something strange about the mirror. "Hey, why aren't we—?" He flinched back from a blinding flash and Hamuko tried to keep her wits about her before she felt her senses dull.

When she next opened her eyes, Hamuko found herself lying on a bed, blankly staring at the pink ceiling. _What was I…?_ Her eyes widened as she thought she heard her brother faintly in the distance. "Nii-san?" She looked around as a voice similar to Minato's began echoing in her mind.

 _"Embrace your desire… I am the voice of your inner self… Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have."_

Hamuko shook her head as she knew her brother would never say such things. "That's not true…" She quickly got off the bed.

 _"The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…"_

"I'm not giving in," she taunted the voice, annoyed that the Shadow would go so far as to cheaply impersonate her twin.

 _"Pleasure is what you truly want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…"_

"Not now," she said as she lifted up her naginata that was against the wall. "I have something else I need to do first." She paused when the water that was running in the background suddenly stopped. She turned towards the bathroom and noticed someone was coming out.

Junpei stepped into the bedroom slightly dazed. "U-um, I…" His eyes snapped to attention when he saw Hamuko with her naginata. "Huh!? W-wait, what's going on? Why am I half naked!?"

"I think it's a trap…" Hamuko frowned as she wondered if this is what happened to her brother and Yukari.

"A trap? Man, they really caught us off guard! This coulda been bad… Then again, this IS a pretty sweet…" Junpei's smirk disappeared as Hamuko glared at him. "Uh!" He nervously laughed. "Sh-shouldn't push my luck, huh?" He quickly ducked back into the bathroom before the girl could swing her weapon at him.

Hamuko sighed as she tested her headset. "Hello? Nii-san? Fuuka-chan? Can you read me?"

Fuuka was the first to answer her. _"Oh, Hamuko-chan! I finally found you! Are you okay?"_

"Yeah, I am. Did you find nii-san?"

 _"Mm-hmm. I just finished speaking him and Yukari-chan. They're completely fine."_

"Thank goodness," Hamuko sighed in relief. She tried to search for Minato on the communication line but frowned. "Huh? Fuuka-chan, I can't seem to reach nii-san for some reason."

 _"Minato-kun encountered the same problem too. I'll try to look into a bit further to find the cause, but I'd better get back to finding Junpei-kun."_

"Oh, there's no need. Junpei's actually with me."

 _"Really?"_ Fuuka paused for a moment before she picked up the Magician's signal. _"Junpei-kun, can you hear me?"_

Junpei tensed up as he tried to get his pants back on. "Y-yeah, I hear ya!"

 _"Um, did something happen?"_

"No, we're alright," Hamuko reassured the girl. "You don't have to worry about us."

 _"Okay then,"_ Fuuka frowned. _"I was just a little bit concerned because Junpei-kun's reaction was similar to Yukari-chan's. Anyway,"_ the navigator shook her head, _"I'll contact you again after I run a few scans for Minato-kun."_

"Alright, I'll be waiting then," Hamuko smirked as she wondered how her brother was faring on his side. She quickly wiped it off her face when Junpei finally exited the bathroom.

The tall junior gave her a crooked smirk as he awkwardly avoided her gaze. "U-um," he nervously chuckled. "Well, maybe we could try this again some other time…" Another glare from his friend made him sigh. "Just joking… Let's go."

When they left the room, Fuuka quickly contacted them again. _"I already explained the situation to your brother. He and Yukari-chan are on the floor beneath you and will be meeting you at the top of the stairs."_

"Right. Thanks, Fuuka!" Hamuko led the way and soon spotted her brother with a murderous gleam in his blue eyes. "Nii-san!"

Beside her, Junpei brightened. "There you are! I didn't know there was another Shadow… Anyway, you okay?"

Minato averted his gaze. "We're fine..."

Yukari nodded. "Yeah, NOTHING weird happened to us or anything…"

The older twin nodded to his sister. "How about you guys?"

Hamuko shrugged and smiled at him. "We're more or less okay. You just suddenly disappeared on us, nii-san," she frowned.

"Sorry to make you worry then," he sighed. He suddenly became serious as he looked to his team. "Okay, here's the situation. Radio communication seems to be down so we'll have to do our best to stick together. That shouldn't be too much of a problem though since the Shadow locked itself in the same room we defeated the Heirophant. Once we figure out how to get back in, we'll strike with everything we've got. Everybody got that?" When his team nodded to him in understanding, Minato put a hand on his headset. "Okay, we're all caught up, Fuuka. How're you doing on your end? Anything new?"

 _"I got it!"_ The navigator exclaimed. _"It's the mirrors! They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow! Maybe the seal will vanish if you break the mirrors…"_

Yukari nodded. "I remember this one mirror we saw on the 3rd floor was different from the others… When I stood in front of it, I felt kinda strange…"

"Let's get searching then," Hamuko nodded.

They all went into the closest room and began checking its mirror. Minato frowned at his reflection as he noticed his clothes were covered in unsightly wrinkles. As the blue-haired boy smoothed down his clothes, Junpei knit his eyebrows at the mirror and shook his head. "I don't know if this is what we're looking for but should we smash it?"

"We might as well," Minato shrugged as he lifted up his sword. "Everyone, stand back," he warned the others as he slammed the hilt of his sword into the mirror, cracking the smooth surface. As the shards fell to the ground though, Minato felt his consciousness slip away from him.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko watched as her brother unsteadily fainted before disappearing. "Fuuka-chan, Minato disappeared again!"

 _"I'll begin searching for him now. Please return to the hall and I'll try to direct him towards you."_

Yukari and Junpei frowned at each other as they followed the red-eyed girl out of the room.

* * *

Minato sat up and noticed that this time, his shirt was completely unbuttoned. "Another trap?" He closed his eyes and shook his head a few times to clear it. He caught the scent of something floral though and paused. _Huh… It smells familiar…_ He felt his mind getting cloudier but he heard someone calling out to him.

 _"Minato-kun!"_ The voice was familiar too but the scent began to grow stronger, further disorienting him.

He promptly covered his mouth and nose with a hand to stop himself from getting any dizzier. _N-no… I have to focus on that voice calling for me._ He opened his eyes and stared at the gaudy pink carpet. His blurry vision began to clear as he finally figured out who it was trying to call out to him. "Fuuka?" he asked as he readjusted his headset.

 _"Minato-kun! I've finally found you. Are you okay?"_

The boy quickly straightened out his shirt. "Y-yeah. Sorry. I fell for another trap, didn't I?"

 _"I don't think randomly breaking mirrors is the right approach… But, some of them are definitely giving off the same energy as the Shadow… I'll try to narrow it down, but hopefully, you'll notice something too. Please be careful if you're going to break any more mirrors."_

"Understood," Minato replied as he exited into the hall. He blinked as he recognized that he was on the first floor and spotted the others as they descended the stairs. He quickly caught up to them and shook his head. "Sorry for that. Let's get back to investigating the mirrors."

They entered another room and Minato stood in the back as they examined their reflections on the vanity. He couldn't tell if it was any different from the mirror he smashed before but waited for everyone else's opinion before acting. Yukari finally stepped away from it and shook her head at him. "I don't think there's anything weird about it."

"Yeah," Hamuko agreed. "It's about the same as the one Minato broke earlier. This probably isn't what we're looking for."

"Let's move onto another room then," Minato nodded and signaled for them to go. He stopped though when he felt something pulling at him again. It was similar to how Fuuka used Lucia to ask to gain permission into his mind, but this sensation felt a bit more invasive. Minato turned around and looked back at the mirror, curiously drawn to it when he noticed the tugging he felt began to increase in intensity. _Hm? What's that sound? Is someone calling me? That voice… Why does it sound like Fuuka?_ He stared at the mirror for a while longer before walking towards it. As he continued to study his reflection, his blue eyes suddenly dulled.

Wondering what was taking her brother so long to catch up to them, Hamuko turned around to see him lift his sword. "Nii-san! Stop!"

It was too late as his hilt collided into the mirror again. Minato closed his eyes as he sensed a Shadow behind him. It was whispering something in his ear, but he couldn't make out the words. A strange sense of tranquility wrapped around him and he didn't fight against it as his body forcibly relaxed itself on its own. He felt himself land on a soft bed but rather than immediately getting up, he laid there in peace as it seemed there was nothing to disturb him here. He didn't remain still for too long though as he sensed something at the furthest recesses of his mind again. Minato frowned as this time it wasn't as prying. Rather, it was kind and gentle, yet it still demanded his urgency.

 _"Minato-kun, wake up!"_

"Fuuka?" He slowly opened his eyes only to see a pair of soft brown eyes looking down at him with worry and… _Lust!?_

"Are you okay, Minato-kun?" the teal-haired girl asked him as she hovered above him.

"F-fuuka?" Minato caught the same floral scent again and realized it was the same as her home. "W-what's going on?"

"You're not uncomfortable, are you?" She leaned her face closer to him so that her soft voice would whisper gently into his ear, sending a shiver down Minato's spine. "Minato-kun," the girl moaned as she ran a hand over his bare chest.

Realizing he was completely shirtless, he backed himself into the headboard and pushed her away. "Y-you're not Fuuka," he glared at the apparition before him. "You're the Shadow in my head, mimicking her voice." His eyes narrowed on the girl's outfit and he scowled at the indecent armor. "Fuuka has much more class than this," he said as haughtily as he could.

"That's not very nice, Minato-kun," the girl frowned at him as she tried to get closer to him again. Minato tensed up and she took the opportunity to reach for his belt buckle. "You must be stiff from your investigations. Please relax and I'll be sure to take good care of you."

"N-no, stop—Mmf!" Minato's eyes widened as the fake forced herself onto him, silencing whatever protests he had with a kiss. As soon as the initial shock wore off, Minato quickly broke the kiss and shoved her away from him, anger immediately boiling through the teen. The figure desperately clung to him though, so without thinking, he reached for his Evoker and pointed it to his skull while glaring at the distorted illusion of his friend. "Get away from me!" he roared as he violently fired the gun. "Rargh! Orpheus!" Flames erupted on the bed and Minato flinched as pain prickled through his skin. He must have gone too far with his spell though because the entire bed ended up catching fire. It was too much for him to put out so he worked his way to the bed's edge and allowed himself to fall to the ground. "Ngah...!" He painfully curled up as the carpet roughly rubbed against the blisters beginning to form on his arms and chest. He didn't stop to think about his injuries though since another thought suddenly occurred to him. "Fuuka!"

While he may have had doubts that had actually been the navigator, he couldn't dismiss that possibility outright so quickly forced himself up to see if she really was safe. He paused though as the figure on the bed began to shift. He stood frozen in place as the girl that had previously been on the bed trying to seduce him morphed into a pink jelly-like heart with oozing wings. Minato felt his knees buckle as the Shadow they had been hunting turned him into its prey.

He frantically searched the room for his equipment but the Shadow began to drift closer to him. The junior trembled as he scrambled backwards but when he found himself backed against the sealed door, he couldn't help but let out the terrified scream that had lodged itself in his throat.

* * *

Fuuka tensed up as she heard a desperate scream echoing from the Shadow's room. _"Minato-kun!?"_

Hamuko looked away from the mirror she had been examining. "Fuuka-chan, what's wrong?"

 _"I-I found Minato-kun!"_ She shook her head though as the situation seemed grim. _"He's trapped in the same room as the Shadow!"_

"What!?" Hamuko exclaimed in alarm.

"But we haven't even found a way to weaken the seal yet!" Yukari frowned.

"Ah, man..." Junpei shook his head. "What do we do now?"

Hamuko's grip around her weapon tightened as she lifted it up from the ground and started going up. "Fuuka, send Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai in to check the first floor's mirrors. Yukari and Junpei, you'll both take the second. I'm going straight to the third to see if I can't force my way past the seal."

"Wait, but that's crazy!" Yukari shook her head. "What if you fall into a trap too?"

"Nii-san's in trouble!" Hamuko countered. "We have to do whatever we can to help him."

 _"Arisato, you must calm down,"_ Mitsuru sternly stated as she suddenly entered the line with Penthesilea's powers. _"We are all concerned about Yuki, but recklessly throwing yourself headfirst into danger will not help him."_

"Sorry," the red-eyed junior frowned to herself as she knew the older girl was right. "We need to hurry and do something though. We're running out of time."

 _"In that case, let's regroup first. We'll proceed to work out a plan from there."_

"Alright," Hamuko nodded. "We're still on the first floor so let's meet up in the lobby."

 _"Very well_ then," Mitsuru nodded as both navigators cut the connection.

Hamuko took a moment to recollect herself before sternly looked towards Yukari and Junpei. "Let's hurry."

Both juniors nodded to her and quickly followed her out of the room. They noticed the the seniors and Fuuka were already waiting for them and as soon as he spotted them, Akihiko grimly frowned at them. "Okay, so what now?"

"I still think we should all split up," Hamuko seriously looked at the team, "That way we can cover more ground."

"I agree," Mitsuru nodded. "We'll go with the arrangements Arisato requested for earlier, although there is one change I'd like to make."

"What's that?" Yukari asked.

"Yamagishi," the senior looked towards Fuuka as the younger girl nervously tensed up. "You will accompany Arisato to the third floor."

The teal-haired girl wore an uncertain frown but nodded. "A-alright."

Hamuko frowned at this. "But Fuuka-chan can't..." she paused for a moment before shaking her head. Her usual grin returned to her as she looked up at her friend. "Okay, that's fine with me. Let's go rescue nii-san together, Fuuka-chan!" She was about to impatiently start off, but Fuuka quickly shook her head.

"W-wait, Hamuko-chan! I need to tell everyone how to break the seal!"

"You figured it out, Fuuka?" Yukari frowned.

The girl nodded her head as she looked at everyone. "Listen carefully... You need to find the mirrors that show no reflection of you... Break those mirrors!"

"Well, you heard her," Junpei smirked while straightening his cap. "Let's get smashing!"

"Hold on, Junpei!" Yukari shook her head. "Communication is still down! How will we know when the seal's finally broken?"

Fuuka wore a determined frown. "P-please leave that to me. I'll try to notify everyone as soon as I sense it's gone."

Hamuko grinned at their navigator. "We'll be counting on you then, Fuuka-chan. Now let's go!"

* * *

Minato heavily coughed as the smoke in the room thickened. _D-damn..._ he grit his teeth as he weakly brought his Evoker back up to his head. He summoned Narcissus in the hopes his Persona could clear the air as well as put out the flames threatening to spread in the room. Sadly, his spell only managed to do the former and even then, it didn't do a very good job at it. Minato struggled to look past the dark plumes and winced as the Lovers Shadow rammed into him from out of nowhere. "Kah...!"

The teen was knocked into the wall and as he crumpled to the ground, he wrapped his arms around his stinging chest. That last blow had been a clean hit against the burns he sustained earlier and Minato groaned at how the pain wasn't letting up. He refused to succumb to the agony though as he once again raised his Evoker.

 _C-come on..._ he forced himself to keep awake despite his head beginning to ache. He shakily pressed his finger against the trigger but paused when he heard a familiar voice crying out from the hallway.

 _"We've broken the seal on the door! We should be able to fight the Shadow now!"_

Minato frowned to himself. _Is that... Fuuka...?_ He weakly scowled at the Lovers Shadow making its way over towards him. _I'm hallucinating her voice again, aren't I?_ He felt his grip loosen around his Evoker as he realized he was too exhausted to deal with more of the Shadow's mind games. Not wanting his final thoughts to be twisted images of his friend, Minato focused his gaze on the flames growing behind the Shadow. After engraving the sight of the inferno in his mind, he closed his eyes and guiltily frowned to himself. _I'm sorry, Hamuko... I couldn't burn my dread after all..._

Just as he was about to go under, the door suddenly burst open. "Nii-san!" Hamuko called out to him before furiously glaring at the Lovers Shadow. "How dare you mess with a girl's fragile heart!?"

Akihiko nodded in agreement as he pointed his fist at their enemy. "Pulling shit like that with us... I hope you're ready to die!"

Yukari readied her bow and took aim. "Because of you… I had to come to this disgusting place! Now, you're gonna pay!"

Junpei tugged his cap down as he got into a batting stance with his sword. "Man, I'm never gonna live down what you put me through! I'm takin' you out right now!"

 _"We can defeat it this time! Hang in there, everyone!"_ Fuuka encouraged them as the four of them immediately engaged the Shadow. Once she was able to relay to them the Shadow's resistances, Fuuka shifted her attention to Mitsuru as the senior hurried over to the barely conscious Minato's side. _"Senpai, how is he?"_

"He's badly burned and he seems completely dazed," Mitsuru shook her head as she did her best to lift the boy up. "I must get him out of here immediately, but once I do, Yamagishi, you must watch over him while I join the others."

 _"Understood!"_ Fuuka nodded before shifting her attention back to the fight.

Completely confused as to what was happening around him, Minato strained himself to look up at the redhead dragging him out of the room. "S-senpai...?"

"Please refrain from speaking," Mitsuru frowned as she was careful to avoid agitating the burns on the younger boy's bare chest. "You did well in holding out for this long, Yuki, but leave the rest to us." She carefully sat him down against the wall next to Fuuka. "Yamagishi, you know what to do," she nodded to the navigator before leaving the two juniors.

 _"Please be careful, Senpai,"_ Fuuka warned her as the icy Empress entered the fray. _"The Shadow is preparing to cast Maragion. Akihiko-senpai, please watch for the Holy Arrow at your right! Yukari-chan's down!"_

While the navigator carefully oversaw the others in battle, Minato closed his eyes and tried to clear his pounding head. He didn't know whether it was because of pain, exhaustion, or the smoke, but the boy found that his thoughts were a completely jumbled mess. He appeared to be safe now but wasn't it just a moment ago when his life had been in danger? What was going on with that Lovers Shadow right now? Had it been his imagination the others had been present? But what about before when he had been trapped with the Shadow? What had they been doing then? What had he been doing then?

Minato frowned as he couldn't remember but as he continued listening to Fuuka's constant stream of warnings, he thought something was a bit off. _Wait... Why is Fuuka here...? Isn't she supposed to be outside with Senpai?_ He slowly opened his eyes and spotted the navigator within Lucia. _Is this... another trick?_ Not wanting to fall into a trap again, a bit of anger reignited within him and the boy did his best to channel that rage into strength he could use to move. "I'll burn you to Hell," he breathed.

 _"Hmm?"_ Fuuka looked back at the boy in worry as she thought she heard him say something. _"Are you okay, Minato-kun?"_

Minato didn't reply as he focused everything he had on trying to stand up. The best he could do in his state though was push himself halfway up before he collapsed back to the ground.

Thinking he was just trying to readjust his position, Fuuka turned to face him. "Y-you're not uncomfortable, are you?" she worriedly asked as she dispelled Lucia in order to help him. She made to approach him but the boy suddenly snapped his head up towards her. She involuntarily flinched from him when she saw the hostility burning behind his blazing blue eyes. "M-minato-kun?"

"Don't you _dare_ come any closer," the blue-haired teen vehemently spoke while fumbling for his Evoker. "I won't let a bitch like you get to me." _Not again..._ he darkly thought as his slowly lifted the gun up.

Fuuka frowned as this wasn't like the kind boy at all. In fact, the terrifying glare he was giving her made him seem like a completely different person and she wasn't sure what she should do in this situation. "Th-that's... not very nice, Minato—"

"Shut up!" Minato roared while he fired his Evoker.

Fuuka flinched and instinctively summoned Lucia as Narcissus emerged from the the blue-haired teen. But instead of casting Magaru as Minato had intended, the beautifully vain Persona danced around them. Minato watched in confusion as his Persona wasn't responding to any of his orders. Some mischievous giggling from inside the room soon caught his attention and he looked up to see Pixie flitting towards him. The small sprite enveloped him in a pink light before frolicking about with Narcissus. He felt all of his energy return to his body as his burns cooled somewhat but as both Personas disappeared, he sensed his consciousness beginning to fade away.

 _"Minato-kun!"_ When he passed out, Fuuka wanted to kneel at his side in alarm, but Lucia stirred around her as if in warning of something. The navigator paused as she also noticed a strange uneasiness growing within her so decided to have the Persona scan her surroundings, but she gasped when she noticed that more than half the team began to turn on each other inside the room.

 _"Stupei! What are you_ — _?"_ Yukari screamed as a bolt of lightning dropped down on her, striking her weakness.

 _"Yukari!"_ Hamuko cried out. _"Hang on—Whoa!"_ The red-eyed brunette brought her naginata up to parry Mitsuru's sword.

Fuuka shook her head as she tried to reach out to the three who were charmed. _"Junpei-kun! Akihiko-senpai! Mitsuru-senpai! Please, you need get a hold of yourselves! You're not thinking straight!"_

 _"Fuuka-chan!"_ The co-leader used the blunt end of her weapon to knock Junpei backwards. _"What happened? I just wanted Pixie to cast Diarama, but she healed all of us and flew out of the room!"_

 _"Minato-kun summoned Narcissus just now and that must have triggered a Fusion Spell! Could this be a side_ — _?"_ Fuuka screamed as Lucia's protective bubble was suddenly assaulted by an explosive burst of flames.

 _"Fuuka-chan!"_ Hamuko cried out in alarm but there was nothing the co-leader could do for the navigator as she had her hands full fending off Junpei's and Mitsuru's sword strikes.

Fuuka frowned as she shifted her attention back onto herself. Looking through Lucia's barrier and the dissipating embers, she saw Minato slowly rise to his feet as Orpheus menacingly hovered behind him.

"Minato-kun!" she verbally tried to call out to him while having Lucia attempt to mentally do the same. She felt a powerful resistance in his mind though and noticed it felt remarkably similar to the Shadow the others were currently facing. "Minato-kun! You need to fight the Shadow's interference!"

The blue-haired boy didn't seem to hear her though as he glared at her from the other side of the thick glass. Minato simply raised his Evoker and summoned Orpheus again and the resultant flash of fire forced Fuuka to shield her eyes against the intense brightness.

"Minato-kun, please!" the navigator desperately called out as she did everything she could to break through the wall surrounding his mind. She knew she couldn't keep it up forever though because, despite Lucia trying her best to keep her barrier up, the boy's relentless flames were weakening her Persona. Luckily, Minato eventually had to stop to recover a bit of energy as his repeated use of Orpheus was just as, if not more, taxing on him as it was on her. Fuuka quickly used this opportunity to once again connect herself to him, but she paused when she barely made out Minato's rage-filled muttering.

"Burn..." Minato mumbled as he took an unsteady step towards Lucia. "Burn! Burn! Burn!" He quickly went back to repeatedly firing his Evoker but wasn't paying any attention to himself or his surroundings as he directly walked into Orpheus's searing flames.

Fuuka's eyes grew wide as the boy was completely surrounded by the inferno. "Minato-kun!"

It was a shorter string of bursts this time so it wasn't long before the boy stopped. Fatigue beginning to set in, he collapsed against Lucia, out of breath. With Minato standing before her like this, Fuuka painfully studied his haggard features. His face and upper body was covered in grimy sweat while his singed trousers were showing heavy signs of wear. The navigator sadly frowned at the serious burns covering his torso and arms as they must have been excruciating, but Minato didn't even seem to notice as he pressed his blistering hands against the glass in between them. Breathing in ragged gasps, he trained his dilated pupils directly on Fuuka, unable to recognize the girl right in front of him.

"B-burn…" he weakly croaked as his shaking hand lifted his Evoker once more.

"Minato-kun!" Not wanting him to hurt himself anymore, Fuuka rushed forward as Lucia disappeared. Without her Persona to lean on, Minato suddenly fell towards her and she quickly grabbed his hand to stop himself from pulling the trigger. "Please! You're already badly hurt! Minato-kun!" She looked into his eyes, hoping he'd listen.

She flinched as all of a sudden Minato pushed her to the ground, his Evoker loudly clattering to the floor. When she opened her eyes, she saw that he was on top of her, pinning both her wrists to the ground above her head. She struggled against his strong grip, but she paused when their proximity gave her a more detailed view of the blistering sores plaguing his chest. She looked back up at the predatory look on the boy's face and began to panic at the thought of what he might do in his condition.

Minato didn't act immediately though as he stared at the girl beneath him. The pink glow behind his navy blue eyes flickered as he desperately tried to focus on what to do next. He winced when a sudden pain shot through his skull as the Shadow began to whisper to him. _"Burn..."_

"Huh?" Fuuka frowned when Lucia picked up the distorted thoughts being sent to the controlled swordsman.

 _"Burn within your temptation…"_

"T-temptation...?" Minato looked down at Fuuka's body but his gaze stopped to focus on the navigator's Evoker strapped at her side.

 _"Right in front of you lies temptation and salvation..."_

Unable to deny the voice, Minato shifted his weight a bit so that he was using only his left hand to restrain Fuuka's arms. With his other hand free, he slowly trailed it down to her waist before deftly freeing her rarely used pistol from its holster. He raised it to his temple and blankly stared at the girl in front of him, ready to pull the trigger. Fuuka's eyes widened in worry when she sensed what it was the Shadow wanted him to do.

 _"Give in to your deepest of desires..."_ the voice goaded him. _"Burn..."_

"No, don't listen to that voice, Minato-kun!" Fuuka desperately cried out as she pulled against Minato's grip. "Can you hear me? Snap out of it!" Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Fuuka managed to slip her arms free, making Minato lose his balance. His left hand slipped and he fell forward, firing the Evoker. His shot missed though and the loud crack of the model gun made both teens flinch. When Fuuka opened her eyes, she noticed Minato had completely collapsed on top of her. A bit uncertain whether he was okay, she warily tried to call out to him again. "Minato-kun...?"

The boy didn't respond for a few seconds but when he finally came to, he slowly pushed himself up off the ground. "Ngh..." Slightly disoriented about what just happened, Minato brought his right hand up to his head before he realized he was on top of someone. "Fuuka...!?" Thinking she was just another illusion, he immediately backed away from her and grabbed the closest Evoker he could but winced when his entire body screamed in pain. "Ngah...!"

Fuuka quickly went to his side, checking his injuries. "You shouldn't move so much, Minato-kun! You're badly burned."

Hearing the concern in her voice, Minato shot his head up to study the girl in front of him. The gentleness and worry in her eyes were enough to prove she was the real deal, but he had no idea why she was here with him. After all, the last thing he fully recalled was enduring the Lovers Shadow's trap. He had absolutely no idea how he ended up on top of the navigator, but if he had to guess based on the Shadow's modus operandi, he had probably been in the midst of almost doing something he definitely wouldn't have been proud of.

As that thought crossed his mind, Minato lowered his head so that his bangs would fall over his eyes, keeping his expression hidden. He tightened his grip around the Evoker in his hand and slowly got to his feet. Fuuka tried to get him to remain still but he didn't seem to hear her as he vehemently glared at the hotel room where the Shadow was. _The Shadow... I'll tear it apart myself,_ he thought as he forced his way through the doorway despite the various protests of both his body and Fuuka.

When he entered the room, he frowned as it was complete chaos. While it seems that the flames and smoke Minato conjured up during the period he had been trapped had dissipated, the Shadow seemed to be causing SEES a great deal of trouble. It devilishly danced in the air and seemed to laugh in delight as it manipulated much of the team's in fighting. Looking around, Minato saw that Akihiko and Yukari were both completely unconscious and judging by the frost surrounding them, it must have been Mitsuru's doing. The said Empress still appeared to be charmed and was now healing the Lovers Shadow while Junpei defended the disgusting creature against Hamuko's attempts to weaken it.

"Come on, Junpei!" Hamuko frowned as she dodged his heavy blade and used her naginata to knock him aside. "Get out of my way!" She lifted her Evoker up to try to attack the Shadow, but vaguely saw Mitsuru come towards her from the corner of her eye.

"Hamuko, get down!" Minato suddenly appeared at his sister's side and kicked his leg up to deflect the senior's rapier. He spun his body and easily disarmed the elegant fencer before firing his Evoker. "Charmdi!"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko stared at her brother in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Urgh..." Mitsuru brought a hand up to her head as she tried to gather her bearings. "Just what is going on here?"

Minato ignored them though as he continued moving. Junpei was making his way towards Hamuko again but Minato intercepted him with a sturdy kick to the chest. Junpei staggered backward and tripped over a large cushion. A loud thud echoed in the room as he must have hit his head hard, but Minato didn't have time to apologize or check on the tall boy as he trained his attention on the Shadow next.

With a furious roar, he repeatedly fired the Evoker at his skull, channeling all of his rage to his Persona. "Orpheus! Burn it to Hell!"

As the blue-haired leader violently assailed the Lovers Shadow, Junpei slowly sat up and groaned. When his head and vision cleared, he noticed Minato standing before him, facing the Shadow completely on his own and actually winning. The capped boy continued to watch as the shorter boy was able to effortlessly fight against the enemy despite all of the injuries he had. _Damn... Shown up by him again..._ Junpei scowled to himself as he wondered what he had been doing the entire battle.

Minato finally stopped attacking when the Evoker in his hand clicked without Orpheus responding. He had finally ran out of energy, but his constant barrage of attacks seemed to have been enough to defeat the Shadow as it let out a shrill scream as it died. Minato blankly stared at the disintegrating Shadow and felt it try to enter his mind again. The boy didn't bother trying to fight it off though because he lacked the strength to do so. He should have nothing to fear though, seeing as how Orpheus's flames continually ate away at the Shadow's melting body.

 _"Why do you resist...?"_ The Shadow desperately wailed at him. _"Do not avert your eyes from the truth..."_

The blue-haired junior narrowed his gaze on the abominable heart. _Whatever truth you're trying to show me, it's not what I'm looking for_ , he thought as his mind completely cleared. He flinched as the Shadow finally combusted and the burns on his body stung in response. Exhaustion completely washed over him as his legs gave out from under him.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko caught her brother before he could completely collapse.

"H-hamuko...?"

"I'm right here," she reassured him. "You're okay... Everyone's okay," she nodded as she had managed to revive the others while he battled against the Shadow.

"Everyone...? Even... Fuuka...?"

Hamuko paused as she remembered how their navigator suddenly disappeared from the battle. "I think so...?" She looked towards the doorway and saw the teal-haired girl cautiously look into the room before entering. "Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko waved her over as she let out a sigh of relief. "You're okay!"

"It seems we all managed to pulled through," Fuuka nodded to her before nervously looking at their leader. "Minato-kun," she managed to work up a gentle smile for him, "here's your Evoker back." She held the worn gun out to the boy.

Minato looked at the Evoker her had been using and just now realized it wasn't his own. "Ngh..." Minato's frown deepened as he tentatively took back his Evoker and returned Fuuka's to her. "Fuuka..." he tried to begin without looking directly at the girl, "I... I'm sorry..."

Fuuka shook her head at him. "It's alright, Minato-kun. I'm just happy you're back to normal."

Hamuko watched the exchange in confusion but noticed how Minato guiltily shrink back from their friend despite Fuuka forgiving him for whatever it was he did. _What happened while I was facing the Shadow?_ She wanted to pull her brother aside to check what was wrong but everyone else was beginning to gather around them. She frowned to herself but decided to keep a careful eye on Minato as he tried his best to stand on his own.

"I'm sorry, everyone..." Minato mumbled while only staring at the room's gaudy carpet. "I... I let my guard down..."

"No, the Shadow seemed to be targeting you specifically with its traps," Mitsuru stated as he handed the younger boy his horribly charred shirt and jacket she found crumpled on the ground near the bed. "Whether it realized you were the greatest threat or was just a coincidence, the difficulties we faced tonight were through no fault your own."

Minato continued to hang his head in shame though as he loosely put on his clothes and Hamuko frowned at her older brother's seriousness. "Everyone, let's get out of here," she suggested. "We could all use a breather and some fresh air."

Once out of the hotel, Fuuka let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're all safe," she smiled at the entire team.

"Thanks for your help," Mitsuru nodded to her. "The enemy was sly, but you did well."

"I did what I could," the girl blushed.

Mitsuru turned to Minato, who refused to look up from the ground. "And you too, for withstanding the enemy's mental assault. It must have been difficult for you but you managed to pull through in the end."

Minato made no reply as he blankly stared into space. Akihiko smirked to the rest of the juniors. "Alright, let's call it a night."

Both seniors started for the dorm but Fuuka turned back towards Yukari. "Oh, Yukari-chan. About that thing you mentioned the other day…"

"You found out something?" Yukari was surprised as the girl nodded. "Cool, tell me later. Alright! We should head back, too. Fuuka played a big role again in this one, so score another for the second-years!" She noticed Junpei glaring at the ground. "Come on, Junpei. What are you doing?"

The capped boy angrily turned towards Minato. "So, you're the hero again, huh?"

Surprised by her friend's outburst, Hamuko defended her distraught brother. "Junpei, that's uncalled for! He went through a lot tonight!"

Minato didn't even seem to notice Junpei's tone as he listlessly answered the capped boy. "It was just luck," he muttered.

"Yeah, right… You know it's not," Junpei enviously glared at him.

"I didn't do much, really…"

"Yeah, whatever…" Junpei's scowl deepened as it didn't even look like the blue-hair boy was paying any attention to him. "Who cares, anyway…?"

Yukari glared at their classmate. "Hey, why do you have to be like that? Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Shut up!" he snapped at her before walking away.

"What's up HIS butt?" Yukari asked before she and Fuuka followed after him.

"Nii-san…" Hamuko stared at her brother for a while longer. "We should get going too."

"Yeah…" Minato finally lifted his gaze but paused when he noticed something on the roof across from them. _Huh? Three Reapers?_ He continued to stare and he barely made out three silhouettes before he heard his sister calling for him again.

"Minato?" Hamuko looked back towards him. "Come on."

"Mm," he replied as he trudged after her.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Looks like this room's the last one on this floor," Akihiko nodded as he and Mitsuru reached the end of the hall.

"Indeed," Mitsuru crossed her arms. She frowned though as she sensed a strange energy emanating from the room. "Does this door seem different to you, Akihiko?"

"It looks the same as all the other ones," he shook his head. "Why? You picked up something?"

"We haven't yet encountered any of the mirrors that Yamagishi spoke of, so I was beginning to think none were present on this floor. The energy signature of this room is different from the others however..." the former navigator narrowed her gaze on the final room. "Perhaps we will find what we are looking for in here."

"We might as well give it a shot," Akihiko shrugged before opening the door. The two seniors made their way over to the mirror and sure enough, neither of their reflections appeared before them. "Alright, let's get this over with!" he smirked as he brought his fist back and slammed it against the smooth surface.

When it completely shattered, Mitsuru nodded in approval. "With this, the seal should be weakened. Let's regroup with the..." she paused as her vision blurred.

Akihiko held his arm out to the wall as he also felt a bit dizzy. "Whoa... What's going on...?"

"Is this perhaps... a trap...?" Mitsuru asked before losing consciousness.

When the redhead next awoke, she found herself in the same room as before but for some reason she had been moved to the bed. She slowly sat up and brought a hand up to her head as she wondered why that may be. It took her a while to notice she was completely alone though so she quickly got to her feet.

"Akihiko?" She searched the room for her missing companion. When she noticed the sound of a shower running, she paused and turned towards the bathroom in confusion as it soon turned off. She watched as the door slowly opened, letting out some steam, but as it cleared, she sternly frowned at the boxer coming out to face her wearing nothing but a towel.

"Hey," the white-haired senior nodded to her and pointed to the bathroom behind him. "It's your turn next..."

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru glared at him as she felt her face burn up in both embarrassment and annoyance.

Akihiko groaned and closed his eyes as he seemed to be trying to focus on something. When he opened them again, he shook his head to clear it of the weird fog clouding his mind. "Whoa!" He looked down at himself in surprise. "Wh-what the hell!? What's going on here!?" He nervously looked up at the red-haired senior before him. "M-mitsuru!"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "If you do not get dressed within two minutes, I will execute you," she threatened him.

"H-hold on! I'm going!" Akihiko rushed himself into the bathroom in a panic.

Mitsuru sighed to herself as she wondered for what sort of reason the Shadow had to lay a trap like this. She couldn't think about it for too long though as she felt Fuuka upstairs summoning Lucia. "Yamagishi, has something happened?"

 _"We've broken the seal on the door! We should be able to fight the Shadow now!"_

 _"Fuuka-chan and I are waiting for all of us regroup before engaging the Shadow,"_ Hamuko added. _"Please hurry!"_

Akihiko came out of the bathroom then, fully clothed. "No need to tell us twice," he growled in annoyance. "Let's go, Mitsuru!"

The seniors quickly made it up to the third floor where all of the other juniors, barring Minato, were already gathered. Yukari was the first to spot them so straightened up. "Hey, they're here!" she paused though as she sensed both older students were rather riled up. "Are you two okay?"

"Huh?" Akihiko tensed up and gave her a disapproving frown. "Of course, we're okay."

"W-we're fine!" Mitsuru hastily agreed. "Nothing happened!"

The other juniors looked to each other dubiously before deciding to focus on their current mission. Hamuko smirked to herself though as she guessed what the seniors just went through.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So I cut out a scene towards the end. Eh... it's not that important to me. Although, the scene I skipped in particular brings up a question I have later on in the game... This was about the time I really hated Junpei because he was being a little bitch... I can't really see him being too angry at Hamuko but Minato's completely fair game. Junpei is a lot more chill with Hamuko anyways. The Lovers Shadow is another reason why I disliked Yukari since once again, she was being shoved down Minato's throat. Still don't see her as a romantic partner... She still makes a better friend in my opinion, but I guess that just means she's not my type at all... Hrm... Actually, I'm not all that attracted to Shinjiro either... I'm more attracted to the idea of Shinjiro and his story than anything else. To be honest, when I play Hamuko's route, I'm more into Theodore than anyone else... But that just could be because Theo's voiced by Travis Willingham in Portable... And I love Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist...


	19. SEES's Doubts

**Author's Notes:** I think I'm overlevelled in my FES game, right now... I really should be finishing maxing my Academics for Minato because his intelligence is atrocious... I'm counting the points I need, but man, I'm really cutting it close since I'm almost at the Hermit and I need about 30 points left... I spent way too much time in the beginning of the game in Tartarus... Oh well... I made backup saves for a reason...

* * *

~11 JULY 2009~

Minato sighed as his phone notified him of a new text message. It was from Akihiko so he quickly read it. _"Ikutsuki-san is coming tonight. He has something to tell us. We'll meet on the 4_ _th_ _floor as soon as everyone is back."_

The boy folded his phone and grunted to himself. He lifted up his bag and was about to leave the classroom when a familiar voice called him to stop.

"Nii-san," Hamuko crossed her arms as he'd been despondent ever since the last mission. "Maiko's free at the shrine today. Let's go visit her together."

Minato blankly stared back at his sister before lowering his gaze and frowning. "Mm…" he ended up shrugging in response as he decided to follow her.

 _Nii-san..._ Hamuko worriedly frowned back at him as they passed Classroom 2-E. Fuuka came out at that time though and bumped into her. "S-sorry, Fuuka-chan!"

"Oh! Hamuko-chan!" The girl's brown eyes widened. "Sorry. Were you heading back to the dorm?"

"No, Minato and I are meeting a friend at the shrine," Hamuko smiled, pointing to the boy following her.

"Oh, Minato-kun!" Fuuka just noticed him and tried to give him a smile. Her face fell when the boy didn't acknowledge her. He'd been avoiding her for the past week but she didn't know why. "Minato-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Mm," the boy responded, staring through the walls.

"Nii-san," Hamuko shook her head. "At least give her a proper answer so she doesn't worry."

"Who's worried?" he asked.

"Fuuka-chan!" The red-eyed girl gave her brother a worried glare.

"Yamagishi's fine," he muttered.

"No, Fuuka-chan's worried about you," Hamuko shook her head.

"Oh…"

Fuuka studied the boy carefully and noticed that his blue eyes were dull. "Minato-kun?"

"Hm?" The boy stared at the pressure bandages wrapping his arms.

"Please feel better soon."

"Hm…" Minato frowned as he began picking at the medical cloth.

"Sorry about him, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko gave her an apologetic frown. "We'll see you back at the dorm, okay?"

"Okay…" Fuuka waved at the two and noticed Minato slightly lift his head in a nod. As the two disappeared down the hall, Fuuka frowned to herself in concern. That had been the first time in days Minato had actually responded to her and she wondered what was currently on his mind. She let out a heavy sigh though as even if she did know that, there probably wasn't much she could do to help him. At least, that was what their last Operation had shown her. She shook her head and tried to forget about it though as she remembered the Chairman would be visiting the dorm that day and she still had a few things to do before she could return.

As the twins left campus, Hamuko sighed as she stopped her brother from undoing the wrap around his arm. "Hey… You'll get in trouble with Senpai if you take them off. Your burns were really serious, nii-san." She frowned as she remembered the second-degree burns her brother received from the last mission.

"Hm…" Minato grabbed his arm and squeezed it, letting the pain build up. He grimaced in a way that told Hamuko he was hurting, but he didn't seem to care as he continued to agitate his wounds.

Hamuko wanted to stop him, but she doubt he would have listened as the lifeless look in his blue eyes told her he was suffering more emotionally than he was physically. "Nii-san?" she tentatively called out to him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? What's bothering you?"

Minato frowned to himself as he sensed his sister's desire to help him. After days of keeping silent, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when they heard someone sobbing nearby. Looking up, he realized they had arrived at Naganaki Shrine and the girl they befriended seemed to be crying. "Maiko?" the older brother worriedly frowned as he and Hamuko hurried to see what was wrong.

Hamuko quickly reached the young child and knelt down in front of her before giving her a comforting hug. "Maiko-chan," she soothingly tried to get the girl to calm down. "What's wrong?"

"Onee-chan!" Maiko hugged her back. "M-my dad… He…"

"It's okay, Mai-chan," the older girl comforted her. "Take your time."

Minato blankly watched the two girls as he didn't know what he could do in this situation. He was still having trouble process his own issues but seeing the small girl cry in front of him managed to pull him back to reality. He decided to simply listen and watch as his sister actively tried to help.

Maiko wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked up to Hamuko. "Dad, he… he… he hit me! I don't know what to do…"

"That's mean!" Hamuko frowned.

"I know it is! Why would Dad do that? Why?"

Minato averted his gaze. _Maybe you deserved it…_ As heartless as his thought was, he looked down at his own bandaged arms with self loathing.

"All I did was say I wanted to know the real reason they were getting a divorce," Maiko explained. "They told me I was too young to even understand it. So I kept asking, but then Dad got angry and… and he… Then Mom said since I was so annoying, that it was my fault. I'm not sure they love me anymore…" Minato clenched his fists at the girl's words, pain shooting through his arms. "I bet they wouldn't care if I wasn't even here at all!"

"That's not true," Minato angrily spoke up. Hamuko and Maiko looked up at him in surprise, but Minato kept his head down as his body shook. "They're your parents, Maiko. Of course they love you."

"Onii-chan?" Maiko frowned at him in confusion. "Are you… sure? But then, why are they so mad?" Minato didn't know what to say in response to that but the girl seemed a bit happier as an idea suddenly came to her. "What if I ran away from home…? I want to find out… how they really feel about me." She smiled and nodded to herself. "If they love me, then they'd try to look for me, right? It's a secret, okay? Don't tell Mom and Dad I'm running away. I know you won't tell." She quickly started for the entrance of the shrine. "Well, I have to go now. We can play more later!"

"H-hey! Maiko!" Minato called out for her, concerned about her safety, but she was already gone. "You can't—!" He frowned to himself as he realized he had reached out towards the girl. He pulled back his arm and stared at his wrapped hand. "You can't run away… Everyone would worry…"

"Way to go, Minato," Hamuko sighed and crossed her arms. "You really are a bad influence to kids."

"Ngh..." Minato guiltily frowned to himself. "I'd better go after her and talk some sense into her then."

The brunette shook her head. "I'm sure Maiko will be fine. Next time though, try not to project yourself onto her."

"Yeah..." the older boy let out a heavy sigh.

Hamuko stared at her brother for a while before easing up on him. "Of course, I should probably do the same too when it comes to you."

"What are you talking about?" Minato frowned as he lifted his gaze towards his younger sister.

"Ever since we faced the Lovers Shadow you've been keeping to yourself," the red-eyed girl frowned back at him. "I've been telling everyone that you were trying to focus on recovering from your burns, but I guess you have a lot more on your mind than that, huh?"

"I guess..." Minato wryly smiled.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," the boy slowly shook his head, "But I have a feeling we're going to anyway."

Hamuko rolled her eyes at how difficult he was. "I'm not going to force you, if that's what you're implying. I just want to know what happened to you during that last Operation."

Minato tensed up at that. "Nothing happened," he insisted rather forcefully but he couldn't keep himself from scowling as memories of the Shadow trying to manipulate him flooded his mind. When his thoughts wandered towards how he almost assaulted Fuuka, he quickly brought his hands up to his head and let out a frustrated growl. He felt Hamuko's stern gaze on him as he knew she wasn't going to simply let such an obvious lie go unchallenged so he decided to preempt her next question with a stubborn shake of his head. "If anything did, I don't want to talk about it with you."

"But you _do_ want to talk about it," Hamuko stated with mild surprise. "Well, if you're not going to discuss it with me, why not talk to Fuuka-chan?"

"What the hell!?" Minato shouted while snapping his head up towards her, startling the younger twin. "I can't do that!" He paused though when he noticed his sister had visibly flinched from his outburst. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to yell," he frowned down at himself. "It's just..." He shook his head and sternly looked at the younger girl. "Why are you bringing her up?"

"I'm not the only one worried about you, you know," Hamuko seriously replied. "Fuuka-chan's been feeling a bit down ever since you began avoiding her. She told me she thinks you're upset with her because of... whatever happened between you two," she shrugged as neither teen gave her any details of the events that transpired when the twins accidentally cast Frolic. "She completely blames herself for your injuries since she should have done a better job navigating us."

"What?" Minato blinked at his sister in surprise. "But Fuuka pretty much ran the whole operation. She was the one who led you to the Lovers Shadow while I was…" He looked away from his sister as he remembered what he went through. "Ah.. never mind... Point is, she did more to help the team that night than I did, so why would she be blaming herself for my stupid mistakes?"

"If you want to know, you might as well talk to her yourself, Minato," Hamuko shrugged. "Fuuka-chan won't tell me anything else because she was afraid I'd get angry if I knew what exactly happened."

"I wouldn't mind if you did get angry at me," Minato frowned. "I totally deserve it, but... I'd rather not say anything for Fuuka's sake."

"Funny, she said the same thing about you," Hamuko dryly stated. "Well, there were a few things she did tell me, like how she sensed the Shadow completely locked her out of reaching you with Lucia. She figured that since you were the one receiving most of the transmissions from her, the Shadow thought you were the biggest threat."

"No, that wasn't it," Minato shook his head.

Hamuko frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Shadow specifically targeted me for another reason," the blue-haired boy clenched his fist. "I've been noticing for a while now that the Full Moon Shadows keep luring us out or trying to find us. The Reapers I see… They know something about it… I actually think they're attracted to it and that, in turn, will only draw more Reapers towards me."

"So that's why you've been avoiding everyone else too?"

"You know that people who get too close to me die," he scornfully sneered at himself. "I almost forgot that fact myself, but our last Operation reminded me exactly why I shouldn't rely on anyone else." He brought his fist up before him and tightly clenched it, enduring the pain that began to build up in his arms. "So long as everyone around me is safe, I don't care what happens to me."

Hamuko sadly stared at her brother. "I care what happens to you..." she muttered, making the older boy pause when he sensed the immense worry in her voice. "You're important to me, nii-san."

"Yeah," Minato apologetically smiled at her. "I know…" He hugged his younger sister as she began trembling. "I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't take you for granted like that." He pulled away from her and placed a hand on the girl's head to pat it while giving her his kind brotherly smile. "You've always been with me after all."

"Of course I have," the brunette blushed as she could feel how much her brother loved her. "We're twins... We've been together since even before we were born."

"Yeah, so long as you're with me," Minato nodded, "I don't need anyone else..." The boy suddenly trailed off as that last statement bothered him for some reason. _Is that really true though? Lately, I feel like I shouldn't be thinking stuff like that, especially considering all the Social Links I've made. Even more... Didn't Pharos say I needed_ — _?_

"Hey, Minato?" Hamuko worriedly looked up at her brother as she noticed he had fallen silent. "There's something else Fuuka-chan told me about the Operation. It's about what the Shadow was trying to get you to do while you were charmed."

"Really?" the blue-haired boy tensed up. "What did she tell you?" he tentatively asked.

"She said she heard the Shadow in your mind," she answered while frowning. "It was egging you on to pursue your 'deepest of desires'... Fuuka-chan managed to snap you out of it, but she was really scared to think about what would have happened if you didn't regain your senses." Hamuko lowered her gaze as she didn't really want to think of that possibility either. "I'm truly grateful for what Fuuka-chan did because if it had been me in that position, I don't know if I could have stopped you..."

"Huh!?" Minato's face went red as he tried to get rid of the image of that night from his mind. "The hell are you saying!? I could never, ever forgive myself if I went through with _that_! We're twins, after all!"

Although his flustered reaction was a bit over-the-top, Hamuko smiled at the fact her brother was beginning to return to his usual self. "I know..." _I just wish you wouldn't use me as your sole reason to keep living..._

Minato shook his head as he desperately tried to regain his composure. "Jeez, I don't blame Fuuka for telling you that since that was a very low thing for me to do, but here I was thinking you'd be furious with me over it."

"Well, it didn't happen," Hamuko pointed out with a shrug. "And it wasn't like you were thinking straight anyway. Fuuka-chan probably sees it that way too."

"But still...!" the older brother forced himself to take a deep breath. "Ah, forget it. You have a point. I guess I should try to get over this too, for Fuuka's sake." He sighed and lifted his gaze towards the sky. "It bothers me though that she's already forgiven me despite me not having yet apologized."

"Are you going to?" the brunette asked, studying her brother's serious blue eyes.

"I don't think I can accept her forgiveness, but I should at least give her an apology," the boy seriously answered, looking back down at her. "I don't really think it's enough though."

"Yeah, it's like ever since Fuuka-chan's joined SEES, all you've ever done is just apologize to her," Hamuko noticed as her brother tensed up. "That isn't to say you're a horrible person," she quickly added, "But maybe you could be a little more considerate of her feelings? Fuuka-chan honestly seems to care about you."

"You think so?" Minato dubiously frowned.

Hamuko nodded. "That's how it looks to me."

The serious sibling shook his head. "She seriously doesn't know anything about me, yet she cares... That's... strange, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," the brunette frowned as, for some reason, she began to think of Shinjiro. "Besides, it also looks like you honestly care about her, too, right, nii-san?"

Minato became serious again as he considered his own thoughts and feelings. After a while, he let out a troubled sigh and looked away. "I don't really know the answer to that myself, Hamuko. I trust her abilities, but at the same time, I don't want her to get anymore involved with what I've already put her through. I mean, I already dragged her into the Dark Hour and you know how much I don't like seeing the Reaper on those I care about..." He smirked though as he essentially just admitted how he actually felt about his friend. "Alright," he lifted his head, "I'll try coming up with a way to make things up with her. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that yet, but I can't keep making her worry about me like this. It really takes away from her attention that should be going to the others on the team."

Hamuko sighed as he was beginning to overthink things again, but at least this was a start. His wellbeing was really all that mattered to the brunette after all. "I'm glad you're back to normal, nii-san," she hugged her older brother.

Although a bit confused by her actions, Minato returned her hug anyway. "Thanks, I guess..." When they released each other, the older twin turned towards the shrine entrance. "Hey, let's get something to eat. I'll pay for anything you want," he offered. "Seconds, thirds, dessert, whatever. I really owe you for this."

"Alright! Thanks, nii-san!"

"No problem," Minato smiled gently as his younger sister, "sis."

Hamuko smiled back as it was rare for him to address her like that. "Let's go, nii-san."

"By the way," her older brother frowned as the two began walking side by side, "did I do something to Junpei? He's really upset with me for some reason."

"I'm not really sure, but I was planning on talking to him myself since he has been acting weird lately. I'm sure it's nothing," Hamuko reassured her brother before frowning to herself. She actually didn't know what to make of her friend's behavior since the capped boy seemed to have been avoiding her too. _Junpei…_

* * *

Minato took a deep breath as Mitsuru finished summarizing their last Operation to the Chairman. The senior spared no detail in her account of the events and Minato was glad she had no idea what had been going on inside his head during the whole ordeal. "So, that's what happened on the night of the 7th. It was a difficult operation," she concluded with a nod.

"I see," Ikutsuki nodded. "They're getting tougher… But, it's not all bad news. I called today's meeting because—"

Yukari quickly interrupted him. "I'm sorry. Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something."

Minato raised an eyebrow as he had no idea where this came from. He glanced over to Hamuko who just frowned at her friend while Mitsuru simply looked up in surprise. The redhead frowned at the archer in confusion. "Me…?"

"Since I joined," Yukari lowered her gaze, "so many things have happened… I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on… But now, I need to know. I'm gonna ask you straight out… You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, Senpai? You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus… but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

Minato's eyes widened as he understood. This was about the girl's father. Hamuko had explained to him before that Yukari was quite desperate for answers, but their friend never came to them to formally request an investigation. Minato didn't bother to pry though as it seemed extremely personal to their classmate and he and his sister had their own secrets to keep.

Junpei knit his eyebrows in confusion as he didn't understand what was going on. "What accident…?"

"There was an explosion near our school," Yukari explained, "and a lot of people died… It must've been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?" she continued to focus her gaze on the official leader of SEES.

Mitsuru didn't dare look at Yukari but did manage to maintain her composure. "Yes."

"Luckily, no students were injured," Yukari continued. "But… around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence."

Curious to how much the junior knew, Mitsuru decided to test the girl. "What do you mean?"

"I dug up some old school records, and found something interesting. The students who were absent…" Yukari gathered as much confidence as she could before revealing her hand to the senior. "They all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka…" When the senior remained silent, Yukari stood up from her seat, wanting an answer. "There has to be an explanation! What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something!" The girl tried to keep the desperation out of her voice, but Minato quickly picked up on it. "Tell me the truth!"

Mitsuru remained silent as she frowned to herself. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant. But…" The Student Council President was at a loss for words on how to proceed.

Ikutsuki gave the girl a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

Minato frowned as something about the man's tone seemed insincere. The Reaper beside him chuckled menacingly and the boy clenched his fists to control himself. _You're up to something… Are you working alone or is it for the Kirijo Group?_ He returned his attention to the senior and noticed that Mitsuru was nodding her head as though she were coming to a decision on something.

"Alright," she began. "I'll tell you the whole story… The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space." Minato thought this made sense given the Dark Hour and Tartarus. "We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be the source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

Yukari looked to her in surprise. "What…?"

"Fourteen years ago," the senior continued, "one man pursued that line of thinking… He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kouetsu Kirijo… My grandfather."

Minato recognized the name as he remembered seeing it in some old case files belonging to his parents and other relatives. Hamuko noticed this too and shot her brother a frown. _The Kirijo Group… A company often under scrutiny by the entire Kuzunoha clan, despite both families and corporations sharing many of the same allies… Kouetsu Kirijo was actually Mom and Dad's final case,_ the girl thought to herself.

"My grandfather was obsessed with Shadows," Mitsuru said with a frown on her face. "He wanted to harness their power, and create something extraordinary."

"Harness their power?" Fuuka was surprised.

"He assembled a team of scientists, and over several years collected a significant number of Shadows." The seniors lowered his gaze.

"He what!?" Junpei shook his head. "Damn, that's freaking crazy!"

"However," Mitsuru refused to lift her head to look at them, "Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."

Fuuka frowned. "You mean…"

The redhead nodded at her. "Yes… Tartarus and the Dark Hour…" Mitsuru took a deep breath. "By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on nights when the moon is full."

 _No… There's something else… Something Senpai doesn't know about… Those Shadows… Mom and Dad's accident…_ Minato felt a cold dread build up within his chest, suffocating him. Remembering to breathe, he slowly exhaled only to enter a coughing fit.

Hamuko rubbed his back. "Nii-san?"

"I-I'm fine. Just surprised by all this," he lied to the team when they turned to him in concern.

When she was certain her friend was okay, Fuuka turned back towards Mitsuru. "Is that why they've appeared in different places?"

"Wait a minute…" Yukari's eyebrows furrowed. "If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" She gasped as she realized something. "Don't tell me… That's where they conducted the experiment!?"

Ashamed at her family's actions, Mitsuru nodded. "Yes."

"Then…" Yukari frowned. "Those students who were hospitalized…"

"I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking," Mitsuru looked away from the brunette. "Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly-populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased… As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

Yukari clenched his fists. "Does that mean… all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess!? You lied to us?" Mitsuru had nothing to say in response to the junior's anger. Yukari quickly turned towards Akihiko. "You knew too, didn't you, Senpai!? They've just been using us! Or, do you not care as long as you get to fight?"

Hamuko shook her head as she remembered Miki and Shinjiro. "Yukari! Calm down!"

"That's not true," Akihiko shook his head sadly. "I have my reasons…"

"Think what you'd like…" Mitsuru frowned to herself. "It was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry. I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we—with our Personas—can fight the Shadows."

Minato crossed his arms as he agreed with the senior. "Senpai's right. There's nothing we can do but continue to fight."

Yukari looked at the boy furiously. "How could you…!?" She paused when Mitsuru held her own arm, as if trying to reassure herself.

"Besides…" the redhead quietly said. "Some of us were never given a choice. I…"

Akihiko shook his head. "Mitsuru… Don't."

Yukari's expression softened as the older girl seemed to be remembering something painful. Minato watched them before staring at his feet. _Senpai must have been experimented on herself,_ he guessed. _Kouetsu Kirijo… Perhaps it's time for me to expand on my personal investigation… This might get me closer to the truth I've been searching for all this time_. Minato shifted his eyes towards Ikutsuki. It might have been the boy's imagination but he swore the Chairman had been carefully studying him throughout the entire meeting, but he couldn't confirm it as the man raised his arms to restore order to the team.

"Yukari…" the man began. "It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did… We're all in the same boat, here; none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us."

The girl understood but something didn't sit well with her. "But…"

Ikutsuki shook his head. "It's been ten years since that incident… No one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned." The Reaper behind him laughed directly at Minato and the boy swore the man's eyes flickered towards him. "But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them… Do you realize what this means?" Everyone looked up at him and a few of the students shook their heads. "What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?"

Minato blinked at that. _No… Something about this isn't accurate. Why doesn't it feel right?_

Akihiko, however, smirked. "Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear…?"

"Exactly!" Ikutsuki beamed at the boxer. "That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?"

"Is that true!?" Fuuka sat up, a smile growing on her face.

Minato's brow furrowed. _That can't be it. There's something more. What is it that I've forgotten?_ The Reaper's laughter increased in intensity. _I can't think with that damn thing here!_

Ikutsuki nodded as no one noticed the blue-haired boy's expression. "There's evidence to support it. Now, our true battle begins." Yukari remained silent so the man turned to look at her. "Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people. The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them. And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it."

The meeting was soon brought to an end, but Minato couldn't help it as his mind and pulse began to race. _Damn… He controls the entire flow of the team's investigation…_ The sickly boy grew pale as the man walked right past him, his Reaper cackling as it followed the man out the door. _I-I can't go against him… In a way, he's got a point… But what's this building fear? The Reapers… Mom and Dad's accident… Kouetsu Kirijo… The Dark Hour… Tartarus… It's all connected, but how? Even after ten years, I've made no progress at all!_

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka noticed he was looking sick. "Are you okay?"

The boy took a shallow breath and was about to reply before coughing again. "S-sorry. I'm not feeling well…" he managed to say before his lungs threatened to shoot out of him.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko rubbed his back. "I think you should go to bed for the night."

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "We all should."

The team slowly dispersed and Hamuko helped her brother to his room. She gently laid him down and frowned at him. "Nii-san… Something's not right… Mom and Dad…"

"I know… I still don't trust Ikutsuki though," he reached for the water bottle on his nightstand and moistened his dry, aching throat. "That Reaper of his is getting more unruly. It's taunting me…"

Hamuko frowned at her brother's apparent fear. "Nii-san. Tomorrow, let's visit Moonlight Bridge."

The older twin paused. "Y-yeah," he agreed with a nod. "It's been a while… There's a lot to tell Mom and Dad…" He slipped under his covers and gave the girl a grateful smile. "Thanks, Hamuko. Good night."

"Good night, nii-san," she smiled back as she closed his lights and returned to her own room. _I should see Shinjiro-san again in a few days. Nii-san's investigation is really putting a burden on him and I don't want him to lose himself to the Reapers again. I really hope Shinjiro-san found something though…_

* * *

~12 JULY 2009~

Shinjiro leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. He heard footsteps coming towards him so he frowned. _So that girl's back, huh?_

"Nothing to do as usual, huh?" Akihiko smirked at him.

"Hm…?" Shinjiro looked up in mild surprise as he hadn't been expecting him of all people to show up. "Hmph… Why're you here? If you came here to try and convince me, then forget it."

Akihiko shook his head. "It's nothing like that. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

This was new and unexpected. "Huh?"

Akihiko sat on a pile of wooden crates next to him. "We've known each other for a long time… It's been almost 14 years since we met at the orphanage… You, me, and Miki… We used to run around here until the sun went down. Back then, it seemed like we had all the time in the world."

"Heh…" Shinjiro smirked at him. "You haven't changed one bit. If you wanna get all sappy, go do it with your other friends." _Like her…_ Shinjiro thought of the smiling red-eyed girl.

Akihiko stood back up and glared at him. "What was that!?"

The taller boy shrugged. "It's rare for you to think about the past. Usually, you just charge ahead like a damn fool. So obviously, there's something on your mind."

"I do reminisce sometimes…" Akihiko frowned. "But, what's the point?" He shook his head as he wasn't here to talk about that. "Anyway, we finally know how to get rid of Tartarus and the Dark Hour."

"No shit?" Shinjiro cast his grey eyes on the boxer seriously.

His white-hair friend nodded. "To be honest, all I've been thinking about lately is getting stronger. But yesterday, someone made me question my reason for fighting…"

"Your reason for fighting, huh…" Shinjiro frowned to himself. "That's different for every person. But, if you don't have a good one, you can always quit… like I did."

"I'm not like you," Akihiko seriously looked at him. "Man, I can't believe I'm the one getting lectured here," he rolled his eyes. "Well, see ya around."

"Tch…" Shinjiro watched as the Gekkoukan student left. "You haven't changed at all…" He sighed as he continued to think to himself. _But I guess I haven't either… Damn…_

* * *

Fuuka looked up from her laptop when she heard someone knocking on her door. She quickly answered it. "Yes?"

Mitsuru looked around the hallway carefully. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Senpai…" Fuuka was surprised by her visit. "Oh, please come in."

The two sat down at her table. Mitsuru kept her posture straight as she rested her hands on the surface before her, as if offering a business proposal. "Not only do you excel at providing support during battle, but also at obtaining information."

Fuuka's face went red. "Oh, I-I'm sorry for doing that without permission…"

"Don't worry," Mitsuru shook her head. "You're not in trouble. But, I do have a special favor to ask of you. I want you to find out as much as you can about that incident ten years ago."

"But, very little was made public…" Fuuka frowned.

"That's why I want you to access the Kirijo Group's database."

"You mean," the girl's brown eyes went wide, "hack into their system? That's illegal."

"I'll give you my ID and password," Mitsuru reassured her. "You'll be free from accountability. I want to know the truth, in detail."

"Senpai…" The junior was a bit unsure, but this sounded important.

"Of course, I'll understand if you refuse." Mitsuru frowned as she didn't really want to go to Minato for this. "I would ask Yuki, but his methods of investigation are rather problematic as he'll dive straight into the case without any regard for the consequences. I also believe he is performing his own personal investigation on the Shadows and there are times when he becomes quite distant, withholding information from all those around him including his own sister. Should he discover something within the database, I have no guarantee of knowing."

Fuuka nodded in understanding as Minato had been rather closed off lately. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru asked. When she saw no hesitation on the younger girl's face, she gratefully smiled. "I appreciate it." She got back up and started for the door before stopping. "Yamagishi… Aren't you resentful? After all, despite my good intentions, I did drag you into this without fully explaining. Certainly, you must be a little angry with me…"

Fuuka shook her head. "Not really. You see, my parents have an inferiority complex because all my relatives are doctors… That's why they're so tough on me… You must have noticed when you spoke with them about me joining SEES. It's really hard for me to be at home… But here, I feel important, and I can help you and the others…" She began thinking about the time they've spent together so far and smiled. "So, why should I be angry?"

Mitsuru smiled at the teal-haired girl. "You're right, Yamagishi. We do need you. No one can take your place."

The junior's face went red as those words were something Minato would often say to reassure the navigator of her importance to the team. "U-um…"

"Thank you," Mitsuru nodded as she opened the door to leave. "I'll see you later." She took a deep breath as she returned to her own room. _Now I see why Yuki holds her in high regard and decided to split the team the way he did. She, along with everyone else, is an invaluable member in the team and we must support each other._ She frowned as a thought came into mind. _This makes me wonder if I should have tried harder to prevent Shinjiro from leaving…_

* * *

During Lunch, Hamuko had asked Junpei to see her on the roof. Not really wanting to talk with her, the boy reluctantly went anyways. She was his friend and it wouldn't be good to let her worry.

"So what's up?" he tried to smile only to see her frowning at him.

"Is something bothering you? You've been avoiding me and my brother all week."

"N-nah, I'm just studying," he looked away, "and stuff."

"You and I both know you're lying," Hamuko crossed her arms.

"What? I can't pretend to be the perfect student like your brother?" Junpei glared at her.

Surprised at the boy's anger, Hamuko blinked at him. "Is that what this is about? You have a problem with my brother?"

"Apparently," Junpei shrugged, face heating up. "Minato's so perfect. Minato got the answer right in class! Minato's the leader! Minato's the fucking hero saving the fucking day!" The capped boy blew up at his friend. "Well, who gives a fuck about him? Half the time he's either asleep in class or staring at his stupid music player like there's something special hanging from it! He doesn't even care and he gets to play hero!?" Junpei was stunned when Hamuko slapped him.

"You can't say he doesn't care!" Hamuko glared at him. "Who's the one always watching your back in Tartarus? Every time you fall flat on your ass against a Shadow, who's the one to always cover for you until you get back up!? Minato never asked to be leader! He accepted it because Senpai specifically asked for him to be leader! He's not playing at being a hero! He's saving _your_ ass as well as everyone else's!"

"Yeah!? Well it's not like I asked for his help!" Junpei fixed his cap. "I don't need him telling me what to do!"

"Then why don't you do something to prove it!?" Hamuko challenged him, tears forming in her eyes. The girl clenched her teeth as she couldn't help it. It was something that came naturally, no matter what she felt. She wasn't like Minato, able to hold himself together until he was completely alone. She strived to be around other people and if that meant letting others see her cry out of anger, then so be it. She would never let anyone insult her brother in such a manner though, not even a friend like Junpei. "What? You're not like nii-san? Of course you aren't! You're you and he's him! But while you're always dicking around, nii-san always has to make up for what you should be doing!"

The male junior could feel his friend's anger towards him and she had a point. He tugged his cap down to hide his face. "It's not like having you on the team helps… The two of you make me feel like crap since nothing I do compares."

"That doesn't give you the right to say those things about nii-san," Hamuko said, trying her best to calm down.

"I forget he's your brother sometimes," Junpei frowned. "I thought you'd understand but I guess not…"

"He's the only family I've got here," the girl reminded him. "We've been through a lot together and I don't expect you to understand that. Nii-san has his issues, sure, but I especially don't need to deal with your stupid self-pity on top of that."

"That's right…" The capped boy remembered that they were both orphans with nowhere to really call home. "Well, whatever…" Junpei turned his back on the girl. "With Minato leading SEES, it's not like you need me around."

"You know that's not true," Hamuko softly said, hoping he heard her as he returned into the building. "You're still my best friend, Junpei!"

That comment made the boy sneer at himself. _Really…? Like that's worth something…_ Junpei spent the rest of the day trying to ignore the blue-haired boy beside him. It wasn't that hard since the two boys slept through each class. Or rather today, it was more like Junpei was pretending to be asleep while his perfect partner was preparing for the upcoming finals. _Yeah,_ Junpei thought with disdain as the blue-haired boy correctly answered yet another question with absolutely no effort at all. _I bet he'll get the top score again._

After class, he wandered to the movie theater at Port Island Station. There weren't that many students here today because of the upcoming testing session but that was good though. Junpei didn't really feel like dealing with anyone from school anyway so instead, he began to mull over last night's meeting, Minato, Hamuko, and his life in general.

"So," he said to himself. "Tartarus and the Dark Hour will be gone, huh… Tch!" He stood up from the steps and tossed his empty soda bottle into the recycling bin. "That's good… That's what we've been fighting for…" He paused for a moment before clenching his fist as he felt himself beginning to grow frustrated for no apparent reason. "So, why am I so pissed!?"

He looked back when he heard some students laughing as they left the theater. "Gosh, it's hot… Even for July."

The girl's friend nodded. "Seriously, But, at least we're seniors now… We won't be wearing these stupid uniforms much longer."

"Yeah, I've had enough of this. I just wanna get accepted to college and start having some fun."

"That's IF you get accepted, don't forget."

Junpei frowned as they walked away before wryly laughing at himself. "I know why… I'M the reason… I was like, 'Fighting is my duty'. But hell, it's all I'm good for. If it weren't for that… I'd be worthless." He forced out a short laugh. "My duty…? What a buncha bullshit. I can't fight worth shit, anyway… Not compared to HIM, at least. Dammit! Nothing I do is good enough!" He sighed as he remembered what Hamuko told him at Lunch. _Your best friend, huh?_

* * *

Yukari stared at the worn envelope in her hands as she sat on her bed. "Seems like my worst fears keep coming true… Am I stupid to believe in things like trust and friendship…?" She shook her head as she carefully pulled out the letter's contents. "Dad… This old letter of yours… I must've read it a thousand times since it came last spring…"

 _March 6_ _th_ _, 2000. To my family,_

 _Tomorrow, I'll bring this letter to the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge. It'll be stored in a time capsule, and sent to you ten years from now. Yukari… You're so small right now, but in ten years, you'll be sixteen. You'll be in high school._

 _I know you've been sad because I have to work so late, but you still always greet me with a smile. I'm really proud of myself. Kirijo-san appointed me Head Researcher. I'll be starting on a big project soon, and I'm happy to be receiving so much recognition for my work… But, I swear to you nothing is more important to me than you and your mother._

 _Yukari… Are you remembering to enjoy life? Are you still bright-eyed and hopeful, like you are now? No matter what happens in the next ten years, I hope you are happy. Well, I hope this letter brings a smile to your face._

 _Love, Dad_

When she finished reading it, Yukari quickly wiped up the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "I can't lose hope… for his sake. I won't turn my back. I won't be like Mom. Not ever…"

She looked out her bedroom window and stared at Moonlight Bridge. Traffic was busy as usual, but she could make out a pair of students walking home on the bridge.

 _They must not know what's going on with all the Dark Hour stuff_ , Yukari thought to herself. _I guess Minato was right. There's nothing else to do but fight… That's why I have this power, I guess… But why do I feel that's not the actual reason? What if it's something more than that?_

* * *

Minato looked in the direction of the dorm from Moonlight Bridge. He tilted his head to the side. Hamuko walked to his side and stared at him. "Is something up?"

"I can barely make out the dorm from here," he pointed out. Curious, Hamuko tried to take a look for herself but when she couldn't, she turned towards her brother who shrugged back at her. "Well, I can spot its roof past the station, anyway." He turned back towards the bridge and dug through his bag. "You have a lighter?"

"Yeah, here." Hamuko tossed him a plastic lighter.

Minato lit the incense for both of them and handed her some. Both prayed together before setting it between the cracks of the sidewalk. "Hey, Mom, Dad. Sorry we haven't been around as often as we thought we would have. A lot of things came up. Hamuko and I joined a club called SEES where we fight Shadows during the Dark Hour with Personas. You've been watching over us, right?" He lifted his face towards the sky as his bangs covered his eyes. "I hope you're proud of what we're doing."

 _"Of course we're proud!"_ Hamuko watched as their father beamed proudly at his son. _"You've got the family gift after all!"_

The red-eyed girl shook her head. "Dad, you can't go around saying that. You're going to give nii-san a big head."

"Like that'll happen," Minato looked away. "What I'm doing is nothing compared to Mom and Dad."

 _"Still chasing after us, huh, Minato? You always were my precious little boy."_ A brown-haired woman hugged her son.

Minato paused as he felt a familiar warmth surround him. Even though he couldn't see his parents, he could at least feel their presence beside him. "Mom…"

 _"And Hamuko!"_ The blue-haired man placed a hand on the girl's head. _"Are you still aiming to be a nurse?"_

"Yeah!" Hamuko's eyes brightened. "I might just try to be a doctor though. I'm not as good as nii-san at investigating, but I still want to help others. I also don't like seeing him hurt either, so I'll do whatever I can to help him."

 _"Is his breathing better?"_ Their mother looked over the boy worriedly.

"His lungs cleared up fine, Mom."

Minato put on a reassuring smile. "Besides my monthly check-ups, I haven't been hospitalized as much this year," he said. "I think it's the Personas helping out, but I'm doing much better than before. You guys don't have to worry about me as much."

 _"But we're your parents, Minato,"_ Takuto shook his head. _"We'll always worry about you. Isn't that right, Kyoko?"_

 _"That's right. Hamuko, tell your brother to take better care of his body. Why does he have those bandages around his chest and arms?"_

"Mom wants you to explain your injuries, nii-san," Hamuko frowned at him.

"M-mom! I-I'm fine!" Minato shook his head but relented. "I made an error during our last operation against the Shadows. I-I nearly put Hamuko into grave danger because of that. I'm sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault, nii-san!" Hamuko shook her head. "The Shadow _targeted_ you. Thank goodness Fuuka-chan was able to pull you out of it." The girl brightened as she updated her parents on their new friend. "I think you'd both like Fuuka-chan! She's really kind and smart. Also, I think nii-san fancies her."

"H-hey, stop joking around…" Minato's face grew pink.

 _"My son's becoming a man!"_ Takuto laughed.

 _"I'm sure she's a wonderful person if Minato thinks so,"_ Kyoko nodded.

Hamuko laughed, making her brother's face red. Minato shook his head as he tried to be serious. "I-I don't have time for dating right now! I wouldn't even know how to!"

Kyoko hugged her son again. _"If you really care about a person, you won't have to know, Minato. It'll just naturally come to you. Your father was the same way, did you know that?"_

The red-eyed girl passed on their mother's message to him and Minato became silent. He lowered his head and smiled. "N-no… I didn't. But even if it does come to me, what's to stop me from being scared of the Reapers and running away? I don't want to involve people with Death. I-I'm not brave like you two."

 _"Minato,"_ Takuto placed a hand on his son's shoulder. _"You're the 'harbor of courage'. You're not courage itself. You have a gift about you that brings out the best in others. You're never alone. So long as you inspire courage in others, they'll share it with you. Do you understand?"_

After relaying their father's words, Hamuko smiled at her brother and hugged him too. "He's right, nii-san. I don't think I'd be able to do as much as I do without you there to always watch me. You can depend on me a little more. I don't like it when you're closed off to everyone else."

 _"Hamuko, you also need to think about yourself more,"_ Kyoko scolded her. _"It's a problem the both of you have. We're proud that you both are doing your best to protect those you care about, but I don't want you both to throw your lives away. It's too soon for your lives to end."_

"We'll try to be a bit more selfish, Mom," Hamuko began tearing up as her mother hugged her. "But it's hard since we have so many people to care about."

 _"Then have faith in them,"_ Takuko nodded to her. _"You both have been blessed and cursed with Death. For as many people you've come to known, you've seen many of them die. Some were good friends, others were family. But I don't want you both to lose heart. Minato, you sense Death and it only reinforces how much you wish to protect those you care about. Hamuko, you see those that have passed and it reminds you that you'll never be alone. We'll always be watching you, but it's your lives. It's not our place to tell you what to do anymore. That's up to you two."_

"We understand, Dad," Minato nodded.

 _"That's my precious little boy,"_ Kyoko smiled as she rubbed her thumb on the boy's cheek. _"Take care of your sister, Minato. You're the oldest so you have to be a good example for her. But you don't have to be perfect."_

"Of course, Mom," the boy smiled.

 _"Hamuko,"_ Takuto hugged his daughter. _"Keep an eye out for your brother. He can do many things but he can't do the impossible and he certainly can't do everything, especially if he's alone."_

"Yeah, Dad," Hamuko nodded.

 _"Come visit us again. It looks like you've got a long road ahead of you, but I'm sure you'll be fine,"_ Kyoko looked at the twins once more before she faded away her with her husband.

Minato looked up towards the sky as his hair covered his eyes again. "You know, Hamuko… Even if we get to talk to them like this, I still miss them."

"I do too," Hamuko frowned as she hugged her brother. "But they're always with us."

"Yeah…" He wrapped his arms around his younger sister. "And they'll always watch over us." The two remained silent until they realized it was getting late. The incense was no longer burning and the sky was beginning to grow dark. Minato picked up his bag from the sidewalk as they started for the dorm. "So I saw Junpei head up to the roof with you today. What'd you talk about?"

"He's dealing with something personal," Hamuko answered, not wanting to give her brother the whole truth. "Everyone's been like that lately. It wasn't just you."

Minato frowned in understanding. "Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, Sanada-senpai, Kirijo-senpai… Everyone has things they don't want to face, but will have to eventually. I don't blame them for wanting to run away. I get second thoughts myself, but it's not like me to leave a job half-finished."

"No," his sister agreed. "Even if you don't look forward to the end, you'll keep going because…"

"A good detective doesn't turn away from the truth," they both stated their family's motto simultaneously.

Minato sighed. "Hamuko… Do you think Mom and Dad would be disappointed if I said I didn't care to become an investigator?"

Hamuko shook her head. "They wouldn't want to push you into something you dislike."

"It's not that I dislike it, but I just don't think I'm cut out for it."

"That's what you said about being leader of SEES," she pointed out.

"You're already set in what you want, but I'm not like that. I've never really considered 'next year' or the 'year after'. It's always been me hoping to make it through 'this year'. But if we do end up getting rid of the Dark Hour, there wouldn't be a need for me to have that feeling."

"Nii-san, it's okay if you want to slow down and consider your options. You're always running ahead without me anyway. Sometimes I'm afraid you're going to run somewhere I won't be able to reach, no matter how hard I try."

"I won't be going anywhere, Hamuko," he reassured her. "If I ever get too far, just call for me and I'll come back. You know I'd never leave you behind." He tilted his head towards her. "Just promise you'll do the same for me?"

"Nii-san…" Hamuko smiled at him.

* * *

Pharos smiled as he sat on Minato's bed. "It's good to see you again." He waited for the older boy to sit up properly. "How long has it been since we first met? Time passes so quickly. So, how's life as a Persona-user?"

"Fulfiling," Minato smirked.

"Oh, that's good to hear," Pharos nodded. "I remembered something else about the coming of the end… It all goes back to an occurrence that took place many years ago… Ten years ago, if I remember correctly. Hey…" Pharos thought of something. "Didn't your parents pass away about ten years ago?"

Minato's eyes widened. _So something_ is _connected!_ He wanted to ask the boy something but Pharos disappeared only to reappear in front of his mirror.

The young boy studied his own reflection before looking at Minato's. "A Persona is like a mirror. Which means, a Persona-user can never escape from his true self." Minato winced as a Reaper flashed through his mind. "Regardless," Pharos turned his body to face the teen, "I will stay with you… because we're friends."

Pharos vanished again and Minato looked around only to see that the boy was completely gone this time. "Pharos… What are you really? Who am I really? I trust you but… why can't I trust myself?"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Kaz and Kenji frowned as they noticed their friend absentmindedly crash into the closed door. The blue-haired junior toppled to the ground, but didn't bother to get back up. Kenji shook his head as he turned to the Track student. "It's your turn."

The short-haired runner shrugged. "Alright," he responded as he roughly sat his teammate up. "Come on, Minato. Up you go."

"Mm," the boy responded as he was once against standing.

"Where were you trying to go anyway?" Kaz asked.

"Mm…"

"Dude, I can't understand you. Why don't you say something?" The runner lightly slapped his friend's cheeks to wake him up.

Kenji sighed. "Man, he's been like that since Wednesday. Hamuko says to keep him in the classroom during Lunch so he doesn't cause anyone problems."

"You heard the man," Kaz said before dragging the blue-haired zombie to his seat.

The classroom door opened as Hidetoshi came in. "Has anyone seen—?" He spotted the school's track star trying to force Minato to sit at his desk. "Oh, there you are. Sorry, Kazushi, but I need the Hellhound."

"No can do, Odagiri," Kaz shook his head. "He's out of commission."

"Really? What happened?" Hidetoshi studied Minato's blank face.

"Nobody knows," Kenji shrugged.

"Maybe he has Apathy Syndrome?" Hidetoshi frowned. "The President wants us to alert her if any student develop it, so I'll tell her Minato-kun fell ill. She'll know what to do."

By the time the end of lunch rolled around, Hamuko returned as she laughed at Yukari's joke. They paused when Mitsuru was pacing around the outside of their classroom as Fuuka watched with worry. "Is something wrong?" Hamuko asked.

"Yuki suddenly fell victim to Apathy Syndrome," Mitsuru told her. "Odagiri notified me just now."

"He did!?" Hamuko went into the room but saw her brother dully playing with an eraser in his seat. She rolled her eyes as she let out a frustrated yell. "Minato!"

The boy looked up towards her before returning to his fascinating toy so the girl gave up. Hamuko returned to the other girls of SEES and sighed. Fuuka looked at her with worry. "Is he okay, Hamuko-chan?"

"He doesn't have Apathy Syndrome. He'll need another hospital visit if he doesn't snap out of it though!" Hamuko loudly threatened. She looked back at her brother who just got up and tried to exit the classroom again. This time, he crashed into the doorframe. When he landed on the ground, Hamuko noticed the blood dripping from his nose. "Ugh… That's not how threats work, Minato!"

In the classroom, Kenji and Kaz pushed Hidetoshi forward towards their friend. "It's your turn to pick him up," they sighed.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Seriously, I wish Hidetoshi was datable in Portable. I really couldn't bring myself to date anyone within SEES on the female route. Well... I did go for Shinjiro, but can he really count? It's weird... When I played as Minato in Portable, I easily went towards Fuuka and Mitsuru. For Hamuko... Junpei's not available and I see him as a friend, just like Yukari. I wasn't attracted to Akihiko since I thought he was the 'dad' of the group and he looked a lot better with Mitsuru. Ken is just not an option for me... So I went after Shinjiro, because I don't like his and Hamuko's fates at the end of the game... Still personally attracted to Theo... I'd marry his deep yet smooth voice if I could.


	20. Forgiveness Between Friends

**Author's Notes:** And so school begins again where I live... I don't have school anymore, but I have no idea what to do now... I should get a job, but I also have to babysit my younger siblings... Sigh...

* * *

~13 JULY 2009~

Everyone was spread out throughout the dormitory lounge and the team couldn't help but notice how Mitsuru and Yukari purposefully kept their distance from each other. Uncomfortable with how silent it was, Akihiko frowned as he looked up from his instant ramen. "What's wrong, everyone? Are you guys hungry?"

"N-not really…" Yukari answered.

Silence filled the air again and Fuuka shifted in her seat. "Umm… Y-you know, it's almost summer break. Do you have any plans?"

Junpei smiled as he closed his eyes to fantasize his ideal vacation. "I wish I could go to the beach. Hot sand, cool breeze… Babes in bikinis… Man, it sure would be nice! Somewhere in the south, where the water is crystal clear! But first," he opened his eyes with a frown, "we have exams to worry about… Ugh, what a drag…"

"Now, now," Fuuka reassured him. "You'll be fine." She thought about the upcoming summer break too. "But yeah, I'd love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful beaches, like Okinawa."

"Well," Ikutsuki said as he came down the stairs, "it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?"

Mitsuru looked towards him in surprise. "Mr. Chairman… I didn't realize you were here."

"I happened to be in the area," he smiled, causing Minato to narrow his eyes on him. "So I thought I'd drop by and tell you my schedule for next week. Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break."

"He will…?" Mitsuru frowned at this news.

"You'll all have some time off after exams, right? Why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit?"

"Seriously!?" Junpei jumped up at that. "We're gonna go on a trip!? YES! Beach babes, here I come!"

Yukari sighed. "Men."

Fuuka chuckled as she became excited for the trip too.

Mitsuru continued to frown. "But… My father is a busy man; I don't want to ruin his vacation."

Ikutsuki lightly laughed. "Don't worry… No father would be upset with a daughter who came all that way to see him. You've all done a great job. You deserve to relax for a while. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine."

Minato clenched his teeth. _Just what the hell are you up to now?_

Mitsuru considered the plans. "I don't know…"

 _Please say no…_ Minato silently begged.

Beside him Hamuko jumped with joy. "YAKUSHIMA!" she cheered.

Junpei smiled at her enthusiasm before pleading with the senior. "Senpai! I'm beggin' ya!"

Mitsuru relented and Minato groaned. Nobody seemed to notice the blue-haired boy's reaction though as the redhead smiled to the team. "Alright. I guess everyone needs a break now and then. Let's do it."

"Woohoo!" Junpei and Hamuko high-fived each other.

Akihiko smirked. "Hmm, the beach… I should design a special training regimen."

"Dude," Junpei was already shaking with anticipation, "I'm stoked!"

"I have to go buy a swimsuit…" Fuuka mused.

"Hey, don't worry!" Junpei smirked at her. "I got an extra pair you can borrow!"

"Nice try, man," Akihiko shook his head.

Fuuka ignored Junpei's last comment and turned to the only adult in the room. "Are you going to swim too, Ikutsuki-san?"

"I'm afraid I can't," the man sighed in disappointment. "I'll turn to dust if I'm exposed to sunlight."

"You and nii-san both," Hamuko giggled.

Junpei's eyes widened. "Whoa, was that a joke!?"

"Of course it was…" Akihiko groaned.

 _Am I the only one with misgivings here?_ Minato sighed to himself but noticed Mitsuru quietly heading for the stairs. Yukari seemed to notice too and called out for her. The blue-haired boy remained silent as he couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Ah… Mitsuru-senpai, wait! Uh…" Yukari looked towards the ground. "Sorry about the other day… I got a little carried away…"

"Don't worry about it," Mitsuru shook her head. "In a way, it's only logical that we go to Yakushima. The Chairman said that no one who was responsible for the accident was still alive, but… In reality, there is one witness who survived."

Yukari's eyes widened. "There is?"

"My father," Mitsuru replied as she continued up the stairs.

The brunette remained near the stairs for a while before her shoulders sadly dropped. "Senpai…"

Minato blinked as he returned to the textbook in front of him. _Interesting…_ He frowned as he reluctantly began to look forward the trip. _Damn… Ikutsuki's really good at leading us into his little scheme of his… When can I turn things around? I can't keep following along forever…_

* * *

~15 JULY 2009~

"Like hell I want to help you with swimsuit shopping," Minato said as he left his sister's room, taking back the books she had stolen from him. "Get Fuuka or Yukari to go with you or something."

"I will, but I just want you to be there for a guy's opinion," Hamuko teased.

"Then get a proper pervert," Minato said before he quickly retracted that statement. "No, wait. Forget I said that. What I mean is…" He shook his head. "I don't want to do it!"

"Fine… I'll just pack my usual one…"

"If you already had one ready, you shouldn't have brought it up," the older twin sighed in frustration. His face grew red when he noticed her undressing so he quickly slammed the door. "At least wait until I'm gone before trying it on! Damn it, Hamuko!" He groaned to himself as his sister's laughter emanated from behind the door. "Well, I'm going back to my room now!" he called to her before starting down the hall. He shook his head when he could still hear some muffled laughter in the background. _I don't see what's so funny about… Huh?_ He paused as he stood outside Fuuka's room. _That's not Hamuko,_ he realized as the laughing was actually coming from his right, not left.

Sure enough, when he turned his head in the direction of Fuuka's bedroom, he could hear the navigator laughing rather torturously. "Someone help!"

"Fuuka!?" He threw his books to the side in concern and knocked. "Are you okay?"

"M-minato-kun! C-come in!" Fuuka managed between giggles. "H-help!"

"Hold on!" Minato quickly opened the door, preparing himself for the worst. He didn't know what he expected to see, but he stared in perplexity at the sight of Fuuka doubling over in front of her mirror, laughing uncontrollably.

When she saw him come in, she fidgeted with the strange vibrating belt around her waist as though she wanted to take it off. "M-minato-kun!" she called him over, surprising the boy with the fact she could even manage to speak. "P-please help me!"

"Sure," Minato shrugged while closing the door behind him. He mentally sighed to himself as this was a rather strange situation to be in, but he couldn't just leave the girl to suffer like this. "Just hold still," he said with a frown. The girl squirmed though as he made multiple attempts to reach for the strange belt. "H-hey, stop moving around like that." He finally managed to grab the belt but he felt his finger brush against a slide lever.

As a result of his actions, he teal-haired junior twitched and began to laughed even more. "I th-think you made it worse, M-Minato-kun!"

The boy couldn't help but smirk as her laughter was beginning to get infectious. "If you'd just stand in one place—Whoa!" He pulled the Velcro strap free but fell backwards. The girl came down with him too with a yelp, but Fuuka quickly put her arms out to catch herself as she landed on the boy's chest. Minato winced as she pressed against his burn wounds and they fell into Fuuka's bed. After taking a second to gather his bearings and recover from the surprise, he painfully looked up towards her. "F-fuuka? Are you alright?" He did his best to hold back the urge to yell in pain as the girl remained on top of him.

Fuuka stared directly into his blue eyes and were mesmerized by their glowing intensity. _I didn't realize Minato's eyes were such a beautiful shade of deep blue._ As she continued to drown in their depths, it took her just a moment longer to realize the position they were in, resulting in her face growing red. "Minato-kun! I'm sorry! I didn't expect you to fall backwards like that!"

"F-fuuka," he painfully whimpered. "Y-you're pressing on my burns…"

Her eyes went wide and she quickly got off of him. "S-sorry! I forgot you were still recovering." She frowned to herself as she carefully pulled him up into a sitting position on her bed. _That's right… His injuries…_ "I'm sorry, Minato-kun."

"It was an accident," the boy shook his head, as he lightly pressed his burns, checking to make sure his bandages were still in place. He frowned to himself as he noticed they were a bit loose. "I should have been more careful with taking the belt off."

"N-no, not that," Fuuka didn't look up at him. "The Full Moon Operation against the Lovers Shadow… It's my fault you were injured."

"Fuuka," Minato frowned at her. "I got these from when I fell into the Shadow's trap. You had nothing to do with that."

"But the Shadow went after you because of me!"

"The Shadow went after me because of _me_ ," Minato steadily looked her in the eyes. "I made myself an open target and fell into its traps, despite your warnings. I'm really ashamed of what happened that night. I should have never allowed events to go that far."

"N-no! That wasn't your fault! You didn't do anything wrong…"

"Then neither did you," Minato reassured her.

"I'm glad you're not angry or disappointed with me," the girl sighed in relief. "I was getting worried because I thought you were specifically avoiding me."

"I k-kinda was actually," Minato looked away, face warming up again. "F-for a different reason though!" He frowned when he noticed the hurt expression on his friend's face. "I have to apologize twice for that actually. Once for avoiding you and the other for what I might have done to you while I was charmed."

Fuuka's face went red as she remembered when he suddenly pushed her to the ground and was above her. "Y-you weren't thinking straight, M-minato-kun!" she stammered. "And you didn't do anything that crossed the line."

"Really?" The boy's relieved expression made the girl's stomach flip a little. "Are you sure? You're not lying out of consideration for me, are you, Fuuka?"

She shook her head. "No. You managed to break free from the spell, remember?"

"I'm sorry," Minato reached for his own head as he couldn't quite recall. "I don't exactly remember the details. I just remember hearing you calling out to me. So thank you for that, Fuuka."

"N-not at all, Minato-kun," she smiled at him. She noticed his bandages were coming loose. "Oh! Your arm!"

Minato lifted his right arm and stared at the loose ribbon that was beginning to unravel. "Yeah, I should get back to my room and reapply them."

"Let me help you!" Fuuka looked around her room for her medical kit.

"No, really! I can do this myself," the boy nervously averted his gaze. "Besides, I don't want to disturb you anymore than I already have."

"You helped me though, Minato-kun," the girl beamed at him as she put the troublesome belt aside so that it wasn't in the way. "Let me repay the favor."

"Fuuka," Minato sighed. "My chest bandages are coming loose too," he told her, causing her to madly blush. "I should really take care of this myself." He prepared to stand, but was surprised when she gently grabbed his arm. "Fuuka?"

"Please let me help you, Minato-kun," she whispered.

The boy's expressions softened when he realized he couldn't refuse her earnest request. "Alright, Fuuka," he nodded, "If you insist."

Fuuka quickly brightened at his approval and began taking out a two rolls of medical wrap, antibiotic burn lotion, and a few metal clasps from her first-aid kit. She quickly washed her hands at her sink as she watched Minato calmly begin unbuttoning his shirt. The blue-haired boy immediately frowned when his previous bandages caught onto his uniform.

The girl quickly helped him free his shirt. "There you go," she smiled. She hung his white button-up over the edge of her bed and began gingerly removing his bandages as she sat at his side. "Did you really do this yourself, Minato-kun?" she asked, impressed with how neatly the bandages wrapped around him.

The boy closed his eyes and slowly breathed. "Not really. Hamuko visits me every morning to make sure I'm not late for class. Lately, she's been getting up earlier to help me reapply my bandages too. I change them again myself whenever I return and if necessary once more before going to bed. I didn't yet today though because I needed to get some books back from her." He flinched in surprise when he felt something cold on his chest. "Kkh!"

Fuuka stopped applying the lotion. "I-I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

The boy shook his head as he slowly got used to the sensation. "I was just surprised, that's all," he reassured her. "The lotion was colder than I thought."

The girl giggled. "It has menthol in it," she explained, marveling the boy's thin but surprisingly muscular frame. She felt a blush coming on as she carefully massaged the ointment against his collarbones. "I'm sure you already know, but it has cooling properties when applied."

"I see," the boy smiled. "I can actually smell the mint," he pointed out as he relaxed once more. He took a deep breath and quickly caught a hint of the floral scent of Fuuka's room. He frowned to himself as a thought came to him. "Fuuka?"

"Hm?" Fuuka began working on his shoulders.

"Before I was charmed," he nervously gulped, "Did I attack you?"

"Er..." the girl paused as she remembered the boy's oddly hostile demeanor. She was glad Minato currently had his eyes closed because she didn't want him to see the uncomfortable frown on her face as she thought back to that night. "Why do you ask?"

"I can't really remember much of what happened after I got locked in with the Shadow," the boy admitted to her. "I do vaguely recall seeing you there at some point with Lucia though. Um... Don't take this question the wrong way but... Was that really you?"

Fuuka considered lying in order to ease his conscience but she didn't want to betray the boy's trust, so she truthfully answered him. "That was really me."

"So I did try to attack you," Minato hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Fuuka... My actions must have terrified you and I have no excuses to defend them. What happened between us in the hall is completely unjustifiable so I understand if you can't forgive me."

Fuuka shook her head as she went back to applying the lotion to his arms. "There's nothing to forgive, Minato-kun. I don't blame you at all for anything you did after we broke the seal to the room. The Shadow tried to manipulate you after all."

The boy scrunched his face up in protest. "But I wasn't even under the Shadow's influence when I attacked you. And even after I became charmed, my actions escalated to the point where I almost nearly..." he clenched his fists as he couldn't bring himself to fully complete that thought. "Well… You know…"

"I guess I do have to admit that I was scared to see you like that," Fuuka frowned. "I probably should have requested for someone to help me calm you down, but I didn't because you were already badly injured from facing the Shadow alone. If only I was able to figure out how to break the Shadow's seal sooner, we might have been able to get you out of there before you got these burns."

"Er... these burns weren't caused by the Shadow, Fuuka," Minato honestly revealed, not wanting her to blame herself for something he himself was responsible for.

Fuuka blinked at him in alarm. "But—"

Minato shook his head as he quickly explained what he could to her. "When I fell into the Shadow's mirror trap, the Shadow showed me something I didn't want to see. I ended up summoning Orpheus and burned myself in the process," the boy admitted. "What I saw also led to my disorientation upon seeing you in the hall. I thought I was still caught in the Shadow's trap so, in my rage and confusion, mistakenly tried to attack you."

Fuuka finished applying the lotion but didn't quite start wrapping the boy's wounds quite yet. Instead, she hugged him from behind and rested her forehead against his back. She took a deep breath as she reaffirmed that the boy was right in front of her. Oddly enough, she found that he had a warm scent, reminiscent of roasting coffee. "Minato-kun… What was it that you saw that made you so angry?"

"Y-you…" he quietly responded, shivering as her breath hit his spine. "Or rather an apparition of you." He clenched his teeth as he felt his anger momentarily flare. "The Shadow really did get to me, Fuuka. When I saw it drag you into the battle, I really lost it. I wanted the Shadow to burn and perish for showing me a version of you that was so inaccurate. Kind, smart, considerate, determined, cute… Everything you are, it wasn't."

The girl felt herself blushing again. "Minato-kun… You called me cute."

"That's an objective observation," the boy said as a matter of fact. "It's the same way one can look at Kirijo-senpai and say she's beautiful or call Sanada-senpai handsome. You, Fuuka, are cute. If you say otherwise, we could always ask Hamuko."

Fuuka lightly laughed as she began carefully applying the medical wrap to his chest. "Thank you, Minato-kun. This might not be objective, but I think you're an amazing person. You're talented with many things, but you're also willing to help me whenever I need it. I'm glad to have met you."

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way," Minato wryly smiled, "despite me always causing you trouble. I really am sorry for that night."

"You're no trouble at all," Fuuka shook her head. "I don't blame you for anything that happened during our last Operation either, so you don't have to keep apologizing for it."

"Even so," the blue-haired boy sighed, "I don't think I can quite forgive myself for what happened just yet."

The girl securely fastened the end of the wrap to his chest before resting against him once more. "You don't have to always be so hard on yourself, Minato-kun," she told him. "As leader, I know you carry a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, but I'm your navigator. You should be able to come to me whenever you're hurt, lost, or troubled. I don't want you feeling like you have to keep everything to yourself while going around helping others. I want you to be able to rely on me too." She frowned to herself. "Does that sound a little selfish?"

"No," Minato shook his head. "You're just worried about me, after all." He frowned to himself as he could feel her concern for him even now. While it bothered him that the girl cared this much about him, he found himself relieved and actually quite thankful for her gentle kindness. "Thanks for treating me, Fuuka," he sincerely nodded before finally opening his eyes. "It's getting late though so I should probably be returning to my room. We still have finals to study for, remember?"

 _I don't really want him to go though…_ Fuuka sullenly thought as she slowly let go of him. "Do you think we could study together?" she hopefully suggested.

The boy didn't think that was too bad of an idea, but he didn't want the girl to get in trouble for having him there so late in the evening. "Alright, but downstairs, okay? Besides, I'm sure you don't want to be wearing your bathing suit while we…" His smile disappeared as his cheeks flared. "You were wearing that this entire time!?"

Fuuka's face went red too. "Um… I was just trying it on! And then… I wanted to try out the waist slimmer pad! And…"

"It's fine! You don't have to explain anything to me!" Minato nervously laughed as he avoided looking directly at her. "Anyway, I left some books outside in the hall. I'll have to take them back to my room, but we'll meet downstairs, okay?" He reached for his shirt and slowly put it on, careful to not undo the treatment Fuuka had so generously given him.

The girl watched him for a while before answering with a smile. "Alright. I look forward to studying with you, Minato-kun."

"Y-yeah, I do too," Minato sheepishly replied as he made his way to the door. He did his best to not look back at her but flinched when the two made eye contact through the mirror hanging over her sink. Flustered, he quickly closed his eyes and shake his head. "Well, I'll see you then!" he cried out before leaving.

Fuuka giggled at the boy's behavior before smiling to herself. This kind, yet awkward side of him definitely suit him better than how he had been acting before and seeing him back to normal made the girl happy.

* * *

~18 JULY 2009~

Minato stretched his arms as he passed the school gates, happy he no longer had to wear his bandages any longer. _Finally,_ he thought as he straightened his shirt. _No scars at least, but I guess I should still be careful when we go to Yakushima._ He frowned to himself as he examined how uneven the skin tone of his arms before he spotted Junpei smirking and waving at him.

"Yo, what's up?" he greeted the blue-haired boy.

"Nothing much. Just got back from the hospital," Minato nodded, surprised the Magician was speaking to him.

"Oh, so you're all better, huh?" Junpei chuckled as he quickly changed the topic. "Thank god today's the last day of exams…"

"Yeah," the blue-haired boy smiled. "How've you been doing?"

The boy groaned. "Don't ask. I can't wait to let off some steam… Dude, don't you just love summer?"

The leader shook his head at him. "Don't get too complacent. I heard today's test is a bunch of short answer. It's not a full blown essay, but we've still got our work cut out for us."

"Aw, man. Why'd you have to remind me?" Junpei frowned. "Hey, mind if I look at your answers?"

"Just try not to get caught," Minato sighed. "If Hamuko finds out, she'll skin us."

"Yikes," the capped boy's eyes went wide as they entered the classroom.

* * *

Once class was dismissed Junpei stood up from his seat. "I'm done, baaaby!" His sudden exclamation surprised Minato and the blue-haired boy caught himself before he fell out of his seat. "The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shinin' bright!"

Behind them Yukari and Hamuko stood from their seats and approached them. The archer smiled at the two boys. "So, how'd you do?"

"Hey, check it out! I aced PE!" Junpei smirked.

"Well," the brunette sighed, "that pretty much answers the question."

"Psh," Junpei crossed his arms. "A real man doesn't dwell on the past… I'm thinking ahead to Yakushima!"

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon, isn't it…?" Yukari looked to the twins. "Are ya both ready?"

Minato wasn't exactly looking forward to the trip. "Nope," he answered.

Yukari giggled at his answer. "Why am I not surprised? If it makes you feel any better, I'm not ready either."

"I totally am!" Hamuko jumped up. She and Junpei shared a high five. "Woohoo! Yakushima!"

Yukari smiled at the two. "I guess I should start getting ready, too."

"Whatever," Minato rolled his eyes.

"I guess I should be more enthusiastic, huh?" Yukari shrugged. "Hey, I don't have practice today, so do you wanna do something?"

"Sounds good!" Junpei smiled. "Where we goin'? If you need to buy a swimsuit, I'd be happy to help!"

"As if," Yukari pressed a finger against his forehead. "Alright, gimme a sec. I'm gonna go grab my stuff from the locker room." She started for the gym before looking towards Hamuko. "Oh, let's invite Fuuka too."

"Good idea! Nii-san would probably like that!" Hamuko smirked as she followed the girl out.

"H-hey! What are you—?" Minato shook his head as there was no point in him getting flustered over this. He sighed as he looked back towards Junpei. "So what now?" He paused when he notice the capped boy frowning at him. "Junpei, you alright?"

"Hey…" the Magician seriously began. "I know I've been kind of a dick lately…" He pulled his cap down over his eyes. "Um… I'm sorry about the way I've been acting… I was just in a bad mood and I took it all out on you… I know it wasn't too cool of me… but we're still cool, right?"

"Huh?" Minato knit his eyebrows together in confusion.

Junpei looked to the boy with admiration. "Dude, nothin' seems to faze you. You're definitely one-of-a-kind."

"Where's all this coming from?" The blue-eyed boy shook his head. "Well, thanks, I guess. Don't worry about it, Junpei."

"Thanks, dude," Junpei smiled. "Anyway," he nervously chuckled, "that's all history… It's you and me now, bro." He held out a fist to Minato and the blue-haired boy bumped his fist into Junpei's.

"Seriously, Junpei. I trust you, man. You don't have to be so weird about it." Minato shrugged. "Besides, I'm used to it."

"Dude!" Junpei lightly glared at him. "I'm tryin' to be serious, here." The two laughed before Junpei shook his head. "Alright, let's get going."

The two juniors quickly caught up with the girls and Akihiko at the front of the school. Hamuko smiled at the two boys when she noticed them joking around as they approached them. "Junpei, Minato! Let's go already!"

Junpei's smile grew wider as he jumped down the front steps of the school. "Woohoooooo! Freedom at last! What should I do now!?"

Fuuka giggled at his enthusiasm. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"It's Junpei," Minato nodded. "There's no doubt about it."

"Hell yeah, I will!" Junpei shouted to the sky. He paused when he noticed Akihiko smirking at him. "Hey, what're you doing here, Akihiko-san?"

"Ikutsuki-san called me," the senior nodded. "I think he wants to talk about a new candidate."

Minato tilted his head. _Koromaru?_

Beside him Yukari frowned. "Does that mean another person is going to join?"

"Maybe…" Akihiko shared her concerns.

Behind the group, a girl called out in their direction. "Fuuka!"

Minato turned around and noticed it was Natsuki. Fuuka tilted her head to the side as her friend ran towards them with a troubled expression on her face. "What's wrong, Natsuki-chan?"

"Do you think you can stay after school with me for a mandatory study session? There's, like, no one—" The former bully noticed Fuuka's housemates. "Oh, you're going back to your 'home' home today, huh? Okay, then never mind."

"Hey, wait." Fuuka started up the steps. "It's alright. Let's go." She turned back to the team and gave Minato an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'll see you all later back at the dorm." She watched as Minato gave her an understanding shrug before following Natsuki back into the building.

Junpei whistled in impress. "I'm really surprised at how much she's changed."

"Yeah," Minato nodded. "She's not the only one," he pointed out. "We've all gotten stronger."

"It's because we've all become good friends," Hamuko smiled.

"Ah, friendship…" A voice from behind them sent a shiver down Minato's spine. The boy turned around to see Ikutsuki smiling at the small group. "How beautiful! Adolescence is such a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!"

 _Why do I feel like you're mocking us?_ Minato thought to himself as he noticed a Reaper cloud faintly growing nearby. _Huh? Is that the new recruit?_

"Mr. Chairman…!" Yukari exclaimed as she was surprised to see the man on campus.

"Oh, hello," Ikutsuki smiled at them all in greeting. "I just stopped by to pick someone up. I might as well introduce you to him now." He turned towards where the Reaper cloud was. "Come meet the gang, Ken!"

A small brown-haired boy showed himself as he smiled up at the high school students. "Hello."

Yukari recognized him immediately. "Oh, hi, Ken-kun. What's up?"

Akihiko looked to her in surprise. "You know him…?"

Hamuko smiled at the boy. "It's nice to see you again, Ken-kun!"

Ken slightly blushed. "Hello, Hamuko-san."

Minato looked to his sister in confusion. _When did you meet…? Wait, no, more importantly… He's rather young… Isn't he?_ He studied the boy carefully as recalled his own childhood experiences with the Dark Hour.

Ikutsuki gave the team a serious frown. "He doesn't leave during the break because of his… circumstances."

"Oh, I heard about that…" Yukari said with a frown. "Something about his parents…"

"It was only me and my mom," Ken explained with a frown. "But she got in an accident, and she… she died. It happened two years ago."

Hamuko blinked as she saw a woman appear behind the boy. _Poor Ken-kun… He's just like Minato and me…_

Ikutsuki began speaking again so the girl lifted her red eyes towards him. "Right now, one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses. But, staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a child his age. So, I decided to move him to your dorm for the summer."

"To OUR dorm!?" Yukari exclaimed in surprise. "Do you really think that's a good idea!?"

"Why, of course," Ikutsuki nodded. "He has the Potential."

 _Tch… Another solid point._ Minato carefully studied Ken's serious face. _He seems responsible, but I have a bad feeling about this._

Akihiko blinked at the Chairman. "Then, he's the new candidate…?"

"Yes…" the man nodded. "But, as you can see, he's still just an elementary school student. So, it is merely a possibility for now."

Akihiko remained silent but Ken's eyes widened as he looked up at the boxer. "Are you… Sanada-senpai?" the boy asked in awe.

A bit uncomfortable with the boy's admiring gaze, Akihiko shifted a bit. "Um… yeah."

"I've heard a lot about you… You haven't lost a boxing match yet."

"Yeah, well…" Akihiko gave the boy a determined smirk. "It's nice to meet you."

Ken studied the high school students around him before he noticed Minato's scrutinizing gaze. "And you must be Yuki-san! Wow! The rumors of your Hellhound glare are true!"

"W-what?" Minato was taken aback. "W-why are there rumors of me in the elementary school!?"

"I can't believe I get to be staying at the same dorm as Sanada-senpai and the Gekkoukan Hellhound!" Ken beamed at the two boys.

"S-seriously…" Minato looked to the rest of the team chuckling at him. "Is no one else concerned?" He smiled to himself though as he noticed how much Ken reminded him of himself when he was younger. _Well… I guess it can't hurt to keep an eye on him for a while._

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Shinjiro-san!" Hamuko happily waved at the tall boy as she ran towards him.

"H-hey!" The older boy glared at her as the other teenagers in the back alley snickered behind him. "I told you to quit coming over!"

"It's been a while since I last saw you! The dorm's going to Yakushima so I'm not going to be around to visit for a while." She gave him a concerned pout. "Aren't you gonna miss me?"

"Dammit, Arisato," Shinjiro rolled his eyes as he pulled her out of the alley. "How the hell am I supposed to miss you if you're still here?"

"That's so sweet of you, senpai!" Hamuko giggled.

"I ain't your senpai!" When they were finally out of the dark alleyway, he turned towards her with a scowl. "So what do you want now?"

"Let's go out!"

Shinjiro's face went red. "H-hey. What the hell are you sayin'?"

"I meant to eat, silly!" Hamuko smirked at him. "Come on. This'll be the last time I'll be see you for a while. I'm sure you'll be lonely without Akihiko-senpai and me visiting."

"Tch, like that'd bother me." Shinijiro frowned when the girl sadly looked up at him. "Fine," he relented. "No beef bowls though! I'm pickin' the restaurant this time." He took her Wakatsu and stared at Hamuko's bright smile as she enjoyed a meal with the older boy. Shinjiro didn't want to admit it, but he had fun too. When they finished, Shinjiro pointed at the soy sauce that lightly spilled on her uniform. "You got somethin' on your shirt," he said. "Take care of that before it stains."

"Right," Hamuko frowned at the mess. "I'll be back!"

Shinjiro took care of the bill for the both of them but paused when a blue-haired boy met him at the counter. "Hm?"

Minato heard Shinjiro behind him and blinked as he turned around. "Huh? Oh, it's you," the older twin said, tilting his head to the side. "Aragaki-senpai."

"I ain't your senpai," Shinjiro scowled. _Is he like his sister or something?_

"My apologies," Minato bowed, "Aragaki-san. What brings you here?"

 _Shit, I don't think he knows his sister came with me._ "To eat," he replied. "What else would I be doing here?"

"Oh, that's right," the younger boy nodded his head.

"Minato-kun?" A teal-haired girl approached his side. "I'm back from the bathroom. I met Hamuko-chan there."

"She's here?" Minato looked towards Fuuka in surprise.

Fuuka nodded to him. "She said she was on a date."

"A date!?" Both boys exclaimed at once. Minato looked at Shinjiro with suspicion and the older boy glared back at the younger boy.

"Huh?" Fuuka looked between the two. "Minato-kun? Is he a friend of yours?"

Minato blinked at her. "Oh, right. Fuuka, this is Shinjiro Aragaki. He's the one who gave us the information we needed to find you."

"Thank you for your help, Aragaki-san," Fuuka bowed to him with a smile.

"Tch, it's not like I did anythin'," Shinjiro told her.

"Minato!" A voice called out for the blue-haired boy. "Fancy seeing you here on a date with Fuuka-chan!"

"We're not—!" Minato shook his head and sighed. "Never mind. Fuuka just told me you were here on a date. With who? How come I didn't know about this?"

"Aw, nii-san's getting overprotective," Hamuko teased him as she pinched his cheek.

"Quit it," Minato waved her hand away. "We're in public."

"Next time we should go on a double date!" Hamuko giggled, excited to see her three companions' reactions. As she expected, Fuuka began blushing, Minato became livid out of both embarrassment and annoyance, and Shinjiro simply glared at her.

"W-where is your date, Hamuko-chan?" Fuuka asked.

"Around somewhere," the girl smirked as Shinjiro continued to stare daggers at her. "I'll introduce you some time, Fuuka-chan. Maybe when nii-san isn't here."

"Hey, I'm standing right next to you," Minato crossed his arms. He glanced at the time and sighed. "I would stay and meet him, but Fuuka and I need to get going."

"Got more planned on your date?" Hamuko teased.

"It's not—!" Her brother's face grew even more irritated. "Never mind," he sighed.

Fuuka shyly smiled at the girl as she explained. "Minato-kun and I were going to get some more film for the Yakushima trip. It shouldn't take us long, but depending on what the store has in stock, we might be back late."

"Don't be out too late," the red-eyed girl winked at them.

"I swear if you weren't my twin, I'd kill you," Minato muttered as he turned to his blushing friend. "Let's just go." He bowed to Shinjiro once more. "It was good to see you again, Aragaki-san."

"Yes, it was nice to meet you," Fuuka did the same before following the blue-haired boy out.

Hamuko laughed once the two were gone. Shinjiro shook his head. "How the hell does he deal with you?"

"He's used to it," Hamuko stuck her tongue out at the older boy.

"We ain't dating," Shinjiro glared at her. "Don't even joke about that. You're gonna give the guys in the back alley and the dorm the wrong idea."

"You're just like nii-san," Hamuko giggled as Shinjiro finally paid for their meal. "Such easy targets to tease."

"Yeah, well, I ain't your brother," Shinjiro shook his head.

"No," the girl reached for his cheek and pulled on it. "You're much less pretty."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or somethin'?" The older boy frowned at her.

"Nope, a compliment. You're much more handsome than nii-san."

"You know, if I didn't just see how overprotective your brother was, I'd kill you too," Shinjiro pointed out.

"Let's go out again sometime!" Hamuko brightly said.

For some reason, the brunet felt his face burn but when he noticed how much fun she was having, he relented. After a heavy sigh, he shrugged. "Sure. I'll see you after your trip."

"Take care of yourself while we're gone," the girl said with genuine worry.

Shinjiro noticed she wasn't smiling, so poked the side of her stomach, causing her to ticklishly writhe from the shock. "I told you before. You look a lot better when you smile." It was his turn to smirk as her face lightly turned pink.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** You know... it's hard for me to imagine Shinjiro in the Yakushima trip. He'd probably wear a full body wetsuit though to conserve heat... But that wouldn't look cool compared to everyone else. Oh well. Up next will be the first part of the Yakushima trip... Look forward to it, I suppose.


	21. Vacation Begins with Work

**Author's Notes:** Hrm... You know, maybe I keep waking up early due to stress... Oh well... I wish I could go on a vacation too but eh...

* * *

~20 JULY 2009~

Junpei leaned out over the railing of the ferry, catching the awesome ocean breeze. His eyes widened when he saw the island they would be staying at for the next four days. The capped boy laughed at how amazing it all looked. "Awesome! There it is! Ya-ku-shi-maaa!"

Hamuko ran to his side. "It's so pretty!"

Fuuka nodded in agreement. "W-wow, so many tropical plants…! Take a look at that one…" She pointed out a plant to Minato who was leaning over the railing beside her. "Minato-kun? Are you feeling well?"

"Seasickness..." the boy weakly groaned as he closed his eyes. After a deep breath, he felt a bit better so looked up. "I'll be fine once we land."

"That's good," Fuuka smiled at him. She turned back towards the rest of the team but noticed Yukari and Mitsuru were standing on opposite sides of the deck. The two girls blankly stared at the water with identical frowns on their faces. Fuuka worriedly frowned at the tension. "Um…"

Junpei continued to point out what he was seeing to Hamuko before looking at the other two juniors. "I-it's totally amazing, huh! Man, this is so awesome… I'm not even kidding!"

"Junpei-kun," Fuuka gave him a frown.

The capped boy looked at the other passengers on the ship and sighed. Minato crossed his arms as he looked out towards the upcoming beach. The sooner they arrive the better. Although, these were a lot of great shots he could be taking. He lifted the heavy camera hanging around his neck and quickly got to work.

* * *

Once Minato began shooting pictures, he didn't put his camera down. Fuuka watched him as he excitedly took as many photos as he could. She'd never seen him so passionate before. The only thing that made him momentarily pause was the great mansion they were brought to, but even then the boy began snapping at the architectural marvel.

"Wow…" Fuuka gasped as they entered.

Junpei agreed. "It's like we're in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous…"

A couple of maids approached them and curtseyed to Mitsuru. "Welcome back, Milady," a girl about their age said. She studied the motley group of teens as she respectfully addressed them. "And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home. Please follow me."

Yukari blinked a few times. "Um, is this the right place?"

"Dude," Junpei's eyes were wide. "Real-life maids…"

"I knew she was from an important family," Fuuka said, "but this definitely confirms it…"

Hamuko nodded silently as she turned towards her brother. "Minato, come on! You'll have time for pictures later. You look like a tourist."

"But… Such amazing shots…" The boy reluctantly put his camera down as he quickly followed after them. He paused when an older man walked into the foyer from the other direction.

The man stared at SEES before stopping in front of Mitsuru. The girl looked up to the man as she quickly fixed her posture. "It's good to see you."

The man said nothing but he acknowledged her with a firm nod before walking away. Fuuka took a step closer to the other juniors as she whispered to them. "Was that…?"

"…her father?" Yukari finished.

"Dude," Junpei shook his head. "Talk about scary! He's not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?"

Akihiko frowned as he noticed the juniors crowding together. "Don't be stupid…"

Mitsuru suddenly chuckled, making them turn towards her. "We won't be here long, but make yourself at home."

Junpei's face brightened at that. "Sweet! This is gonna rock! Hey, wanna go to the beach? It's right there. Dude, this place rules! Come on, let's go!"

Yukari frowned at the simple boy. "What, already?" She shook her head. "I mean, sure, but let me get changed first!"

"Then, I'll see ya there." Junpei dragged Minato and Akihiko with him towards the door. "I'm not gonna waste a single minute!"

"B-but… My camera…" Minato frowned as he was unwillingly pulled away from the perfect mansion.

"Hey, Junpei," Akihiko frowned. "Stop pulling."

* * *

Minato carefully set the lens cover back on his camera and gently put his precious machine into its case. He stretched a little before applying sunscreen to his arms. Beside him, Junpei took off towards the water, kicking up sand behind him.

"Hey, watch it!" the blue-haired boy scolded as he quickly brushed off the rough particles beginning to stick to him.

"Ahh…" Junpei sighed in relaxation. "Got my sandals on… Givin' my feet a chance to breathe… Yup! Summer's here!"

Akihiko looked out towards the water as he readjusted his speedo. "Darn… There's nothing out there I can use as a marker… Too bad. I was hoping for a good swim."

"You must be joking…" Junpei looked at the boxer with wide eyes. "We come all the way to the beach and you're gonna train?"

"What's wrong with that?" the older boy shrugged. "You got a better idea?"

"Damn right, I do! It's summertime at the beach! I've got the perfect activity!" He turned towards Minato who was still hiding out underneath the shade. "Dude! Come out here! You have to enjoy this with us!"

Minato sighed as he trepidly stepped out into the sun. "Fine. I can't stay out too long though. I burn really easily and it doesn't help that I just got over my previous injuries."

"Dude, your shirt!"

"If I don't keep it on, I'm gonna burn!" Minato repeated himself.

"You need to build up your tolerance then, Minato," Akihiko frowned.

"Fine," the blue-haired boy rolled his eyes as he went back to remove his shirt.

"That's the spirit, man!" Junpei cheered. "Woohoo!"

From the beach entrance, Hamuko giggled when she heard her friend yelling. Yukari rolled her eyes. "Ugh, could he BE any louder…? But yikes, what's with Akihiko-senpai's swimsuit…? I can feel my face getting red just looking at it…" The brunette turned towards Fuuka. "Right, Fuuka?"

The shy girl had been too busy watching Minato take off his shirt so didn't quite catch that. "H-huh? What?"

Hamuko giggled at her friend before smirking towards Yukari. "It looks like _someone else_ caught her attention," she nodded towards Minato who was now applying sun block over the rest of his chest. "Fuuka-chan," she looked towards the navigator with a sly smile on her face, "it looks like he needs help getting it on his back. Can you help him for me? Minato's pretty sensitive to sunlight."

"W-what? M-me?" Fuuka tensed up as she looked between the red-eyed girl and her brother. Sensing Hamuko wasn't about to her refuse though, the embarrassed girl nodded. "S-sure."

"You really are something, you know that?" Yukari shook her head at Hamuko. They both heard Minato yelp in surprise but Yukari decided not to get involved as Hamuko began snickering to herself.

Akihiko looked up towards both brunettes as they walked towards the water. "Yo, about time you guys got here." He noticed the uncomfortable expression on Yukari's face. "Something wrong, Yukari?"

"That's a pretty…" Yukari searched for the right word to use. "Small… swimsuit…"

"What, don't you know?" Akihiko crossed his arms. "Swimsuits like this reduce water resistance and—"

"Oh, that's okay…" Yukari gave him a small smile. "It doesn't need to be justified." She noticed Junpei gawking at her so gave him a frown. "Hey Junpei, what's the matter? You look even dumber than usual."

"Man…" he shook his head. "Talk about a feast for the eyes," he nervously chuckled. "Yuka-tan's wearing a more aggressive model than I had imagined! Could her boldness come from the confidence that her club training has toned her bod!?"

The archer's face went red. "What!?"

"And check out Hamuko!" Junpei smirked at the red-eyed girl. "She's one cute mermaid herself! Those curves she usually keeps covered up are lookin' good! I can't tear my eyes away!"

"Thanks!" Hamuko giggled.

"Hey, whose sister do you think you're talking about?" Minato suddenly appeared, glaring at the capped boy.

Junpei flinched back but his smirk didn't disappear. "Man, the beach is so great. I love this place!"

Fuuka stood next to Minato and noticed the free umbrella nearby. "Is that umbrella taken?"

"Oooh," Junpei continued. "And here we have the lovely Miss Yamagishi!" He gave the girl a small smile. "Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you were so… I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!"

"Huh…?" Fuuka looked down at her swimsuit before gasping. She tried to cover herself and Minato had to step in front of her just so Junpei would stop staring.

Junpei noticed the boy's glare and nervously chuckled. "Oh come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"Stop that creepy laugh, you perv!" Yukari scolded him but noticed the boy had lifted his head to get a better look at the last person to join them.

Junpei eagerly smirked as the anticipation killed him. "And here's our final contestant…" His jaw immediately dropped though as there were no words to describe what he saw.

Mitsuru looked toward the group as they turned to see what made him silent. "Hm? Is something wrong?" The redhead suddenly became self-conscious as they stared at her.

"Wow…" Fuuka blushed. "Mitsuru-senpai, you're beautiful…"

"Yeah," Yukari agreed. "Your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen?"

"N-no," the redhead stuttered. "Not yet…"

Junpei pulled the two other boys away. "Psst! Level with me… Which one's your type?"

Minato looked away as he answered. "Fuuka."

"Oh, reeeeally? Very interesting," Junpei smirked to him before looking at Akihiko expectantly.

The boxer's face went red as he answered with a stutter. "M-mitsuru…"

"Huh!? Really!?" Junpei exclaimed. The juniors shared a look of surprise with each other.

"K-keep your voice down!" Akihiko glared at him.

"Maaan, really?" Junpei asked. "No joke?"

Yukari looked over to the three boys suspiciously. "What're you three smirking about?"

"Nothing?" the capped boy tried.

Unsurprisingly, Yukari didn't believe him. "Okaaay…"

To get her off their case, Junpei jumped up. "Man, this is great! I'm in heaven! How 'bout a swim!?" He mimicked a trumpet before taking off towards the water with Akihiko. "Charge!"

Minato crossed his arms as he slowly stepped back into the shade. "Don't worry about it, Yukari," he sighed. "It's just Junpei being Junpei."

Hamuko giggled as she guessed what the boys were talking about. She pulled on Yukari's and Mitsuru's hands. "Let's go too! Nii-san, will you be keeping Fuuka-chan company?"

"Does that mean I can stay under the umbrella?" The boy asked back with a deadpan expression on his face.

"I hope you properly thanked her for applying sunscreen on your back!" Hamuko smirked before taking off.

"I-I did!" He called to her before looking to the brown-eyed girl next to him. "Um… So you're not going to swim?"

Fuuka shook her head as she watched the others. "I-I'm not that great of a swimmer. Especially in the ocean. How about you, Minato-kun? Don't you want to swim too?"

The boy wore an embarrassed smile and shook his head. "I don't really want to be out in the sun for too long. Even with sunscreen, I burn very easily." He looked out towards the waves and his smile grew. "Hey, why don't we make a sandcastle?" He offered the girl his hand. "If Hamuko sees us not doing anything, she'll definitely drag us into the ocean with them."

Fuuka giggled as she took his hand. "Alright."

They were barely out from under the umbrella when Minato became uneasy. "Huh?" He stopped walking and looked around. _Is someone watching me?_

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka noticed the boy was glancing around them with a rather paranoid expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"

Minato didn't answer as they heard Junpei being thrown into the water by Akihiko. "Whoa, it's cold!" The capped boy laughed as Fuuka and Minato looked towards the rest of the team.

Fuuka giggled as it looked like everyone having fun. Turning back to the serious boy at her side, the navigator began lightly pulling on his arm in an attempt to get him to relax and enjoy himself too. "Let's go join them, Minato-kun!"

"Whoa, Fuuka!" Minato smirked at her in surprise but allowed her to pull him along. "Alright, I'm coming," he laughed as he decided to forget about his strange feeling.

* * *

After the team returned from the beach, Minato decided to on an expedition through the vast mansion, collecting pictures of whatever he could. As he finished up, he looked around the wide halls in confusion before realizing he was lost. The directionless boy wandered around a bit more before noticing someone at the end of the hall, standing next to a closed door. He was about to call out to that person for help, but he paused when he saw who it was. _Kirijo-senpai?_ The boy heard footsteps coming towards him from another hall and without thinking, he quickly ducked behind a pillar.

Mitsuru patiently waited outside her father's study and straightened up once she saw her father coming down the hall. "It's been a while," she fought back the relieved smile as she did her best to remain composed in front of the man. "I'm glad that you're in good health…"

Takeharu nodded to his daughter. "Our guests are residents of the dorm, I presume."

"I'm sorry for bringing such a crowd…" Mitsuru frowned to herself as she thought back to the moment when the dorm first arrived to the vacation home.

Her father didn't seem to mind though. "I heard you told them about the incident. Why did you hide it for so long?"

"I wasn't hiding it…" Mitsuru's frown deepened.

"I've told you time and again; none of the blame is yours." His grey eyes flashed with concern over the girl.

"But…" she looked up at her father.

Takeharu took a deep breath. "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection. That has been our guiding principle since the Kirijo Family separated from the Nanjo Group. You must learn to trust in others, Mitsuru. There are things in this world that cannot be accomplished alone, no matter how many sacrifices you make."

Minato frowned to himself as he mulled over this new information. _Nanjo Group? As in Kei Nanjo? Mom and Dad's last client?_

Mitsuru lowered her gaze. "Yes, Father."

"You accessed our database, didn't you?" The man frowned. "That's another thing… Why didn't you ask me directly, instead of using this trip as an excuse?"

"I'm… I'm sorry," the redhead bowed her head.

The man walked past her. "Bring them here. All of them. I had no intention of concealing the truth from them. I've made preparations to disclose everything. There's a girl named Takeba in your group, correct? For her to awaken to her power… It must be fate…"

"Father…?" Mitsuru looked up at him.

Minato held his breath and waited a few seconds before stealthily disappearing down the hall. He swiftly turned around and began walking at a normal pace. He made it so that he would naturally enter the large hall with the senior not suspecting him of a thing. "Senpai? Is something wrong?"

Mitsuru noticed him entering. "Yuki… Fetch the others. It's time we learned the whole truth."

"Of course, Senpai," Minato bowed his head before taking out his phone to text the others.

* * *

All of SEES sat inside the fancy office of the leader of the Kirijo Group. Takeharu studied all of them before letting his gaze rest on Yukari. "From what I understand," he began, "Mitsuru has already given you the short version." The brunette nodded to him. "Well, it's true… We adults are to blame. If I could've atoned for it with my life, I would have done so… Now, I have no choice but to rely on you. What my father wanted to create with those monsters' power… was a time manipulation device."

Apparently, this was news to Mitsuru. "That's what he was trying to do?"

Her father nodded to her. "Imagine if you could control the flow of time… eliminate unwanted events before they occur. With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking."

"Damn," Junpei shook his head. "That's insane…"

"However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart. Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that… It's only natural that you want to know the truth… and it's my duty to tell you." The man turned on a video recording.

Akihiko frowned. "What's this…?"

Takeharu watched the video solemnly. "This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene."

A static-filled voice permeated the room. _"I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…"_

Yukari recognized who it was immediately. "That voice…!?"

Hamuko noticed the man in the video appear behind her friend. He seemed to be frowning. The man tried to explain something to Hamuko, but she couldn't hear as faint laughter drowned out the ghostly man's voice. She frowned to herself as this has never happened to her before.

 _"My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should have never even been conceived… I'm afraid what I've done will result in an unprecedented disaster… But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price…"_

Fuuka's eyes widened. "The entire world?"

Minato frowned as a Reaper flickered behind the man on screen. Faintly, the boy heard laughing in his ears, but he swore it didn't come from the Reaper on film. _Something's not right with this video…_

 _"Please, listen carefully… The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion. To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them! I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success… And so, I didn't raise any objections… It is all my fault…"_

Minato subtly raised a hand to cover his ear, hoping to silence the laughing Reaper in his mind. He noticed Yukari tense up as she stood. "Dad…"

Fuuka looked to her in surprise. "You mean… that was…?"

The recording ended and Minato was grateful the laughing stopped. Mitsuru turned towards Takeharu. "Father…"

He only nodded to her. "His name was Eiichiro Takeba… He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man. But, we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death."

Minato glanced towards his sister but noticed she had a hand over one ear. She was intently staring at Yukari and Minato wondered if something was interfering with her ability to see the dead. He quickly refocused his attention on the red-haired senior though as she let out a shaky breath. "I… I can't believe it…"

Yukari numbly stared at the screen. "So, that means… my dad caused it all…? The Dark Hour, Tartarus… The people who died in that incident… It was all his fault…?"

Akihiko noticed the junior shaking. "Y-you okay?"

"So, that's why you were hiding this…?" Yukari angrily turned towards Mitsuru. "Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it!?"

Minato clenched his fists. _No… That's not it. Kirijo-senpai didn't know… And that video… Something's wrong with it…_ He held his tongue though because now wasn't a time to discuss his suspicions, at least not without bringing up his Reapers.

Mitsuru shook her head. "No, Takeba, I…"

"I don't want your pity!" Yukari cried out before running out of the room.

Fuuka made a motion to get up. "Um… Shouldn't someone go after her?"

Mitsuru looked towards Hamuko. "Arisato… Will you go…?"

"No, I'll do it," Minato said, standing up. Everyone looked towards him in surprise, but Hamuko noticed the serious expression on his face.

"Yeah… I'll leave it to you, nii-san."

Minato nodded before leaving the room.

* * *

Yukari stared out towards the ocean as she hugged her knees close to her. "I believed in him for so long… This is too much…" She heard someone running towards her and turned her head. To her surprise it was Minato.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief when he finally caught up to her. "Mind if I join you?" He didn't wait for an answer as he took a seat beside her.

"Minato…" Yukari studied his calm face as he stared out at the water. She enjoyed his silent presence for a while before the urge to speak took over. "Remember what I told you at the hospital…? How my dad died when I was little…? You understand now, right…? He died in that incident. Nobody knew the truth, so there were all sorts of rumors… Because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mom… We even had to move a few times."

Minato frowned as he understood where she was coming from, having gone through similar experiences too. "That must've been tough."

"Yeah," Yukari nodded. She pulled her knees closer to her chest. "But all this time, I kept telling myself it wasn't his fault. I loved him a lot, and I believed he'd never do anything wrong. I received a letter back in the spring. It was from him, written ten years ago… It cracked me up cuz, even though it said 'To my family', it was pretty much all about me. That only made me believe in him more… When I found out I had a special power, I thought it was fate. I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out what really happened. That's why I agreed to fight using my Persona. But, it turns out… all of that was for nothing…"

"That's not true," Minato shook his head.

The brunette wryly laughed. "You're just trying to make me feel better." She clenched her fists as she stood up. "Why does reality have to be so harsh…? I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get… Maybe I'm just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai. I mean, why my father and not hers…?" She let out a derisive laugh. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

The boy got to his feet as he remembered having these thoughts before, when he was younger and he still didn't understand the Reapers that haunted him. He had wanted so desperately for them to go away that he had screamed at his sister why he saw them and not her. "That's how people are, Yukari. It's okay for you to feel that way."

Yukari blew up at him. "Hmph. Well, you're just Mr. Perfect. Nothing ever fazes you. And now, you've got the nerve to try and tell me how to feel!? You think you know me!? You don't know anything!"

Minato calmly looked at her. "I at least understand what you're going through," he said. "The fear… The anger… the pain… It's always there, but if you keep turning away from it, eventually you'll feel nothing left." _Like how I am sometimes…_ "And that's worse than dying or being completely alone."

"How would you understand?" Yukari began shaking. "You've always had your sister! I'm not like you! I've always been alone."

"Always?" Minato questioned her. Yukari paused at that. "If you've always been alone, then you would've closed your heart to everyone around you. But you're here talking to me. So have you 'always' been alone?" The girl's head lowered so Minato faced the ocean again and let the sea breeze hit him. "Hamuko must have told you what I said to her after your hospital visit in April. I made a mistake in saying we weren't alike. But out of everyone, I guess you're more like me than even Hamuko. Always thinking we're alone… It's an easy way to cope with life, but it's rather lonely, don't you think? You said were jealous of Kirijo-senpai… I was jealous of Hamuko once…"

"You were?" Yukari frowned at him. "But she's your sister."

Minato chuckled to himself. "Right? I wanted to be like her… She was always able to attract people around her. At first, I felt betrayed because I wanted to be the only person she needed. After a while the jealousy hit and to cope, I decided I only needed myself. I pushed everyone away and eventually I became nothing… Hamuko pulled me out of it but sometimes I find myself going back to how I used to be. It's a hard habit for me to get rid of, but I think I'm doing better."

"So when did you start to change?"

"April," Minato answered.

"What!?" Yukari looked at him in surprise. "But you seem so…"

"Normal?" The boy shrugged. "It's easy to fake. Unless you know the signs, you can't really tell." He smirked at his friend. "Which is why you can't fool me, Yukari."

The girl turned towards the ocean in silence. She lowered her gaze before smiling at the boy. "I'm sorry… My head's a mess… I'm so afraid… I don't know what to do anymore… I'm totally lost… Tell me… What should I do…?"

Minato took a deep breath before he answered. "It's okay not to know."

"Huh…?" Yukari looked at him with confusion.

"You don't have to know what to do." The boy looked into her eyes seriously. "But there's one thing I think you should do. Don't lose hope."

"You mean, keep believing…?"

"Yeah," Minato nodded. "To be honest, I don't think it's your dad's fault. A lot of stuff still doesn't make sense, but at least keep believing. If not in your dad, then in yourself. And if not in yourself, then believe in Hamuko and me. You're the first real friend we made in Iwatodai, you know?"

Yukari smiled at the boy's words. "Ya know, you really are one-of-a-kind." She gave him a genuinely sorry look. "I'm sorry for acting like this. You've lost your parents, too. But, I'm alright now… I'm used to dealing with stressful situations. Anyway, thanks for listening. Lemme guess… Senpai asked you to bring me back, right?"

Minato chuckled. "Hamuko was the one supposed to bring you back. I ended up coming cuz I wanted to."

"Oooh, you're such a gentleman…" Yukari giggled at him. "Thanks."

Seeing how she needed an extra boost, Minato wrapped his arms around her. This surprised the girl but she returned the hug anyways. "You know, Hamuko says the most brotherly thing about me is my hug. So if you're ever down, you can rely on me. You know that, right?"

"You really are the best big brother in the world," Yukari smiled as she tightened her grip. The girl looked over his shoulder and noticed a certain capped boy running towards them though.

"Hey!" Junpei called out to them. Yukari quickly let go of the blue-haired boy, her face slightly red. When Junpei finally reached them, he was gasping for air. "Sheesh… What's taking you so long…? Everybody's… waiting… It's almost…" He sucked in more air. "The Dark Hour, so you should get back."

"Huh?" Yukari looked at the night sky. "Oh, yeah, that's right…"

"Hm?" Junpei noticed Minato crossing his arms and frowning at him. "Um… Did I miss something…?"

"I-I almost forgot…" Yukari stared up at the moon. "It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour comes…"

Minato sighed as he knew this for a fact. "Yeah…"

Junpei rolled his eyes. "Well, duh."

"You know," Yukari looked to the two boys, "I've been thinking lately… Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour… It's like trading away your innocence… In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see. So, I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"

"Yup," Junpei smirked. "Now that that's settled, let's get back!"

The two started off without Minato as he sensed someone watching him again. He looked around but once again saw nothing. _That's really weird… Is there a Shadow hunting me? No… It's not the Dark Hour… So what is it?_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Hamuko fell back into the large bed. "I'm so glad I won't have to be alone in a room this huge!" she called out towards the two other girls getting ready to sleep too. "It's too bad nii-san didn't want to join us."

Fuuka's face went red. "Hamuko-chan, I don't think that would be right…"

"But he's my brother," the red-eyed girl teased, knowing that wasn't the problem. "Oh, well. At least the three of us can have a girls' night!"

Yukari shook her head but smiled at their friend. "Yeah. We can talk about all sorts of stuff without anyone trying to listen in on us. Like how weird the guys were acting on the beach. Especially when Mitsuru-senpai arrived."

Fuuka nodded her head. "Minato-kun was right when he told me Senpai was beautiful."

"Eh? Nii-san said that?" Hamuko frowned. "That's not like him. He tends to go for 'cute' girls…"

The shy girl's face went red as she stared at Hamuko in surprise. "W-what!?"

The red-eyed girl didn't seem to notice the blush though. "Well… It's not like nii-san can't appreciate other types too, I guess. I mean, he and I think Akihiko-senpai is handsome."

Yukari laughed at that. "Handsome? With what he was wearing today? I'd say he was more embarrassing…" She took a seat on the edge of the bed as Hamuko rolled into the center. "By the way, what types of guys are you interested in Hamuko?"

"That's a secret!" the girl winked.

"Hey, come on. It's a girl talk," Yukari smirked at her. "Come on, spill it."

Hamuko's face slightly flushed. "It's not really a type, but I like boys that are taller than me. He needs to be cool, strong, and handsome though."

"Isn't that just your brother?" Yukari tilted her head.

"No, nii-san isn't handsome per se," Hamuko crossed her arms. "He's good looking but that more has to do with him having a pretty face. Plus, he's not strong. He has the cool part down though." The red-eyed girl nodded her head. "Actually, I use nii-san as a comparison base. Considering Minato won't let me date anyone he doesn't trust, I have to make sure any guy I go out with is better than him or at least at his level. Bonus points if I can tease him as much as I do Minato." Hamuko smirked as she began thinking of a certain brunet.

"Someone better than Minato-kun?" Fuuka considered if such a person could exist. "That must be difficult to find. I think Minato-kun is amazing," Fuuka said as she got into bed from Hamuko's other side. "He's kind, courageous, and really smart."

"So is Minato your type then, Fuuka?" Yukari asked.

The girl's face suddenly went red. "U-um…"

"Well, Fuuka-chan is nii-san's type," Hamuko considered. "Not just physically too. You're very cute, Fuuka-chan, but nii-san would never actively pursue anyone based on appearances alone. And given your personality makes you even cuter, you're the perfect match for him."

Yukari giggled. "I think so too. Fuuka complements Minato very well. By the way, Fuuka, how was it when you helped him put on sunscreen?"

Fuuka pulled the covers up over her face. "U-umm…" The girl tried to come up with something to say. "M-minato-kun is surprisingly muscular…"

"Yeah, it's hard to tell with how skinny he is," Yukari thought. "It must be all that Track practice and Tartarus exploration. I was actually surprised he was strong enough to shoot a bow and lift Junpei's sword."

Deciding to shift the focus of the conversation off of herself, Fuuka looked towards Yukari curiously. "How about you, Yukari-chan? What do you look for in a guy?"

The brunette considered things for herself. "Pretty much someone who's the opposite of Junpei. I want someone serious and loyal. Someone I can rely on to be there for me, but also give me space when I need it. A perfect gentleman."

"Something tells me our standards for guys are a bit too high, Yukari," Hamuko smirked.

"Yeah," the brunette chuckled. "Maybe we should look for guys with more realistic traits, like Fuuka."

"Mmhmm," Hamuko nodded. "Minato isn't quite perfect and he actually has a lot of flaws, but you like him anyways, right, Fuuka-chan?"

Fuuka blinked at the two other girls, but noticed they weren't teasing her. Instead, they gave her encouraging smiles. A small smile grew on the shy girl's face as she blushed. "Yeah…"

"I knew it!" Hamuko said, raising her hands in victory. "Now to get nii-san to admit he likes you, too!"

Yukari laughed. "Fuuka, if you need help with Minato, just let us know and we can play matchmaker!"

"O-okay?" Fuuka gave the two a nervous smile. For the rest of the night until they went to sleep, the three girls began talking about Mitsuru and Akihiko's dubious relationship.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I ended up splitting the vacation based on each day... If I didn't the chapter would have been massive. And it's not like the transition to the next day is very smooth. Tomorrow will be the highlight of the Yakushima trip. Hrm... For the relationships in the team, I really don't see Yukari or Mitsuru really needing anyone to go out with. It's just Mitsuru and Akihiko complement each other well and I still treat them as 'mom and dad'. And I find it hard for Yukari to go out with just anybody... The way I see it, there needs to already be a strong level of commitment between her and someone else before she'd date a person. Well, the same could be said for all relationships, I suppose, but I wouldn't really know. I still favor Fuuka, after all.


	22. Operation Failure

**Author's Notes:** This chapter is a bit on the longer side. Operations do tend to be long... Ehehe...

* * *

~21 JULY 2009~

Fuuka's eyes widened as she stared at the large cryptomeria tree before her. "Ah, the air is so fresh…" she marveled the forest. "I never thought a walk in the woods could be so enjoyable. You can't do this in Iwatodai."

"I agree!" Hamuko smiled as she snapped a few photos with her brother's camera. The two paused as they saw Yukari and Mitsuru silently trailing behind them. Hamuko frowned as Fuuka tried to think of something to say to break the tension.

"Oh, so listen to this…" the normally reserved girl tried to smirk. "Junpei-kun was acting like such a pervert yesterday, and I didn't know how to react… It's probably a good thing we came out here by ourselves…"

Yukari blinked at her in surprise. "Huh? Oh, yeah."

Fuuka gave the brunette a wry smile but paused when a phone rang. She glanced towards Mitsuru who answered the call. "Mitsuru speaking…" The redhead looked towards the other girls. "One moment, let me switch over to speakerphone." She swiftly held out her phone and turned on the speaker. "Please continue."

Hamuko's eyes widened as she heard Ikutsuki on the other line. "Well, I'm at the lab here on the island… And a machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own…"

"A machine…?" Yukari's eyebrows knit together.

"What kind of machine is it?" Fuuka asked. "I need detailed information to locate anything other than Shadows…"

"It's a combat vehicle," Ikutsuki replied. "An anti-Shadow weapon, to be precise."

"A combat vehicle…?" Yukari's eyes widened. "You mean like a tank!? We gotta let the others know!" She checked her pockets. "Where's my cell…?"

"We're not currently with the others," Mitsuru informed the Chairman, "so it might take some time for us all to assemble."

"I see…" Ikutsuki sighed. "Well, regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible. I'm on my way there now."

"If the target cannot be captured, do we have permission to destroy it?" Mitsuru asked in concern.

The man just laughed. "I highly doubt you'll be able to destroy it."

"What…?" Fuuka became worried. "Then how are we supposed to stop it…?"

"Just do your best," he reassured the girls. "I'll call you again later."

As the man hung up, Yukari shook her head as none of the boys were picking up. "Great, no one's answering."

Hamuko frowned at her phone when her brother wouldn't answer. "Yeah, that's weird... Nii-san always picks up when I call. Does he not have his phone on him?"

"Don't worry about it," Mitsuru turned to her. "Let's go back and get our equipment. Then we can have Yamagishi's Persona scan the area. Although, this island is quite large…"

"Geez!" Yukari sighed. "Where could they be!?"

* * *

Minato yawned and stretched his arms up towards the sky. He was a bit annoyed Junpei and Akihiko woke him up so early to drag him to the beach. The blue-haired boy groaned as he applied sunscreen on his arms and face. "Why am I here again?" he asked as beside him, Junpei was scanning the beach for the others.

"Huh? Are the girls not up yet?" The capped boy scratched his head and fixed his hat. "Man, what lazybones! The ocean's not gonna sit around and wait for us, ya know?"

"It's not going anywhere," Minato grumbled as he sat on a beach chair, hoping to catch some more sleep.

"No, Junpei's right," Akihiko shook his head. "Once the sun sets, the water temperature drops, tiring you out much faster."

"Huh?" Junpei turned to the senior. "Uhh, I guess… Is that what you're worried about…?"

Akihiko remembered something and pulled out a letter. "That reminds me. One of the maids gave me a letter as we were leaving…" Junpei quickly snatched it from the boxer with a smirk. "Whoa, hey, Junpei!"

Minato glanced at the boys but sat up when he recognized the handwriting. Junpei eagerly held the paper before him and smirked at both boys. "No buts! I ain't letting any love letter from a lovely maid slip through my fingers!"

"How dumb can you get?" Akihiko sighed.

Ignoring him, the junior glanced at the letter. "Uhh, let's see here… This says, 'We've gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree'. Huh!?"

"It looks like Fuuka's handwriting," Akihiko frowned.

"It _is_ her handwriting," Minato said, reclining. "Can I go back to the mansion now?"

"Aw man!" Junpei complained. "We're at an island resort in the middle of summer! Why don't they go to the beach!? That's just not right!"

"Well, it is your fault," Akihiko glared at him.

"Whaddya mean?" Junpei blinked back. "I-I just wanted to lighten up the mood… Besides," he smirked at the two boy, "did you see how cute the girls were in their—?"

"I don't want to hear it," Akihiko shook his head.

"Well, it doesn't matter, anyway…" a grim expression appeared on the Magician's face. "We're on our own now, just the guys! If you're outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That's one of the most basic military tactics! We'll call this Operation Babe Hunt!"

Minato raised an eyebrow at the boy. "You can't be serious," he groaned. There goes his entire day.

Akihiko frowned. "Babe Hunt? You mean, like pick up girls…?"

Junpei crossed his arms and smirked at the boxer. "Whaddya think, Akihiko-san? With you on the squad, we're guaranteed to succeed!"

The white-haired senior looked over towards Minato, hesitation written all over the senior's face. "What do you think about this?"

The blue-haired boy sighed. "Sounds like a hassle."

"You're right," the senior nodded. "It does…"

"Then, what're we gonna do for the rest of the day?" Junpei asked the two. "Come on, guys! It'll be fun!"

"Nah, I'll pass…" Akihiko shook his head.

Junpei gave the older boy a challenging smirk. "Ooh… scared you're gonna lose?"

"Wh-what!?" The boxer felt his pride being attacked.

"Hey, I'm not judging you," Junpei shook his head sympathetically. "Most guys would rather back down than lose."

A competitive spark shone in the senior's grey eyes. "All right… we're doing this!" He quickly pointed at Minato. "Then I'm appointing him our leader, as usual."

The tired junior's face fell as he slipped out of his seat in surprise. "M-me!?"

Junpei was surprised too. "What!? WHY!?"

"You said yourself this is an operation," Akihiko smirked.

"Aw, man, that's bullshit!" Junpei crossed his arms as Akihiko walked away.

Minato stood up and scowled. "Tch, I should have left when I had the chance." The blue-haired boy looked around. _In fact…_ He started off towards the mansion but Junpei pulled him by his shirt. "H-hey!"

"Nuh-uh. You're hanging with us! You better take this seriously… It's an important operation." Junpei let go when they caught up to Akihiko.

Minato groaned in response but carefully fixed his shirt. "Fine. But if I'm going to do this, someone owes me a bowl of ramen."

Akihiko nodded at their leader. "Alright. The loser buys dinner at Hagakure when we get back home! Commence the operation!"

"Loser?" Junpei shook his head. "Whaddya mean loser? Wait, we're gonna go hit on them separately!?"

"Not a chance," Minato sighed. "We're a team so we're staying together. We'll just see who can score a girl to come hang with us."

"Fair enough," Akihiko nodded, seeing how the three of them weren't very good at picking up girls to begin with. He noticed Minato was still wearing his shirt. "Hey, come on. Take that off… You won't get any stronger if you keep hiding from the sun."

Minato grumbled as he obeyed. "You're one to talk, Senpai."

"So you want me to take off my shirt, too?" Akihiko reached for the hem of his shirt.

"No! You're wearing only your Speedo, aren't you?" Minato shook his head as he tossed his shirt towards their stuff. _It's bad enough going around shirtless. I don't want to be associated with Senpai's Speedo too._ After stuffing a few unopened bottles of sunscreen into his pockets, the boy turned to his friend. "Junpei, you ready?"

Junpei looked around and brightened when he noticed three girls underneath an umbrella. "Oooh! We found some senoritas! Let's go hit on 'em!" They got closer to the girls and the capped boy began shaking with excitement. "Beep… Beep… BEEP! Target confirmed! Let's move in for the kill! This is my area of expertise, so listen up…" He looked at both boys seriously. "First off, think of something to talk about—something they might be interested in. Give them an easy question to get the ball rollin'. That's the golden rule. Somethin' like, 'Where're you from?' or 'Havin' fun?' Pretty soon, you'll be tossin' questions and answers back and forth like you're playin' catch. I'll start things off, and you can ask the questions alright?" He smirked as he confidently approached the umbrella. "Here we go." He smiled brightly at the girls. "Hey, ladies!"

Minato nodded to them in greeting. "Where you from?" he asked. _Man, this feels so awkward…_ "Havin' fun?"

The girl wearing a green bikini looked at the juniors suspiciously. "None of your business."

"Hey," Junpei smirked. "No need to be shy… We don't bite."

"Why should we tell you?" a girl in yellow asked.

"Come on," the capped boy shook his head. "Cut us some slack… We just wanna talk."

"I thought you said you said you were an expert…" Akihiko muttered behind the juniors.

"Hold your horses…" Junpei whispered back. "I'm just getting warmed up. Watch and learn…" He brightly smiled back to the girls. "So, ladies, are you in college?"

The third girl in orange studied the three boys. "Umm… Don't tell me you guys are still in high school…"

Sensing a trap, Minato shook his head. "Nope. Not us."

The girl in green narrowed her eyes on the blue-haired boy. "Seriously? You sure look like high schoolers from here."

Junpei coughed. "S-sorry, that's a lie."

"Oh, really?" she frowned at them. "High school kids vacationing in Yakushima? That kind of pisses me off."

Minato rolled his eyes. _Well, there goes our chances._

"Well," Akihiko shrugged, "we were invited to our friend's vacation home… Pretty cool, huh?"

Minato covered his eyes. _Please… Just stop talking, Senpai…_

The girl in orange glared at the three boys. "Good for your friend. We, on the other hand, have to pay for our vacation with our hard-earned money."

"I guess we're just lucky…" Junpei's smirk was beginning to fade.

"Yeah," the girl in yellow nodded at them. "Lucky you. Whaddya want, anyways?"

 _Let's see if I can salvage this sinking ship._ Minato tilted his head to the side with a small smirk on his face. "We came to hit on you," he honestly replied.

"Huh?" The girl in green looked at him with wide eyes before laughing. "You're pretty bold…"

Her friend in orange shook her head. "Hey, stop giving them compliments and just ignore 'em…"

"W-wait," Junpei shook his head. "Don't do that! How can you blame us for wanting to talk to such beautiful women?"

The girl in yellow sighed. "These guys are full of shit."

The girl in green nodded. "Yeah, let's get outta here."

"Wait…" Minato frowned at the girls. _Mm… Maybe I should stop frowning… Eh, to hell with it. It's not like I'm interested in them anyways._

Beside him, his capped friend earnestly tried to get them to stay. "Come on, give us a chance… How 'bout a walk on the beach?"

"You're annoying," the girl in orange turned her head away from them.

"See ya, boys." The girl in yellow took her friends away with her.

Minato waved to them as he gave them a deadpan stare. "Bye."

Akhiko shook his head at Junpei once they were gone. "So much for your 'expertise'."

"Hey, I did my best!" Junpei glared at him. "What about you, Senpai!? You think you can do any better? Come on, show us what you got."

"Wh-why should I?" the boxer frowned.

"Well, you're supposed to be a tactical master, right?" Junpei smirked, challenging the older boy. "And, isn't it our duty to help each other succeed?" He looked at Minato expectantly.

"I guess you have a point there." Akhiko crossed his arms and looked around the beach. "Fine. I'll give it a shot. I'm sure I'll do better than you. Can you give me a hand, Minato? I'll set the pace, of course."

Minato sighed. "Whatever."

Junpei smiled as he pointed towards another umbrella. "Men, we've located a new target!" Akihiko froze up so Junpei pushed him forward. "What are you waiting for, Akihiko-san? Show us how it's done."

"Just keep your mouth shut," the boxer hissed as he pulled whatever confidence he had in him to smile at the girls.

A girl in black pointed over towards the three boys. "Hey, Nobuko. Are they staring at us?"

Nobuko looked over at them and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Wow, Yoshie, you can see from there?"

"That's my cue," Akihiko said with a smile, signaling for the two others to follow behind him. "H-hi. S-sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask you something…"

Yoshie tilted her head to the side. "Yes?"

"Um…" Akihiko's gaze faltered. "Are you here alone?"

Nobuko giggled at him. "Are you hitting on us?"

"N-no, not at all…" the boxer shook his head. "We just thought that if you're bored, you might wanna talk… We could get to know each other better."

 _Wow, you're really bad at this, Senpai,_ Minato inwardly smirked.

Yoshie shook her head at the white-haired boy. "Um, that's what it means to hit on someone. Don't you know…? It's so lame to hit on girls at the beach…"

Nobuko smiled at the boys. "We were bored anyway, so why don't we just play along? Hey, you guys are kinda cute."

"Nobuko!" Yoshie's face went red.

Her friend ignored her as she turned towards Minato who was just blankly staring at them. "Hey, how old do you think we are?"

Minato shrugged as he put on a charming smile. "Around 20?" _Not too old, not too young…_

Nobuko's eyes widened at his charm. "Seriously? We look that young? Wow, you made my day… even though I know you're just trying to flatter us. To tell you the truth, we're older than that…"

"Oh, really?" Akihiko frowned. "That's too ba—"

"Dude, wait!" Junpei cut him off as he urgently whispered to the senior. "Don't you know that older women are more experienced!? They're like fine wines!"

Yoshie heard the capped boy's comment and smirked at the two juniors. "You're a pretty smooth talker for someone so young. How old are you guys, anyway?"

 _I sense another trap…_ Minato thought, but he kept his small smile on as Junpei answered.

"We're in high school."

Akihiko cleared his throat. "I'll be graduating next year."

Nobuko frowned at that. "That's a bummer… We're not astrologically compatible…"

Yoshie shook her head. "Look, it isn't gonna happen, so just give it up. You don't even seem like you're having fun talking to us."

"Yes we are," Akihiko tried to answer.

"Or so you say," Nobuko frowned at the older boy. "We don't even have anything to talk about… except work… and that's just complaints."

"Well, that might be interesting…" Akihiko put on a weak smirk.

"You're not very good at lying, are you?" Yoshie frowned at him. "You don't have to pretend to be interested."

"Come on, Yoshie, give him a break… He said he's interested, right?"

 _And I'm bored again…_ Minato looked away. "No, she's right. It's boring."

"What!?" Yoshie glared at the blue-haired boy. "Boring!?" The girl sighed. "I can't believe you said that…"

"I'm sure he was just joking," Nobuko smiled.

Minato raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. _Sure… Let's go with that…_

"Why are you being so nice to them, Nobuko!?"

"Are you kidding? When was the last time we were hit on?" She smiled at Minato who tilted his head in response. Nobuko giggled at how cute he was acting.

Yoshie checked the time. "Hey, let's head back… They're waiting for us."

"Th-they?" Junpei's eyes widened. "You mean, you have boyfriends?"

Nobuko looked as though she had forgotten but remembered that fact just now. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Did we forget to mention that? Well, gotta go. We're having a barbeque at the villa. You can come if you want."

Akihiko shook his head. "Uh, n-no thanks."

Yoshie waved to the boys as she pulled her ditzy friend away from them. "See ya."

Again Minato waved goodbye. _Well… Good to know I have some charm…_

Once they were gone, Junpei frowned at Akihiko. "Senpai! What the heck just happened!? Man, we looked like a bunch of idiots!" The capped boy then turned to Minato when he noticed the blue-eyed boy chuckling. "Dude, you were his wing man! Where was the support? You let them slip through our fingers! Seriously! Get your act together, man! Next time, I want results!"

"Hey, that lady was actually checking me out," Minato said, his face getting red. "Let's just move on."

Junpei noticed a lady underneath an umbrella. "Hey, Commander, look! There's a lady all alone! That means she's waiting for someone to hit on her! We're guaranteed some success with this one!" He pushed their leader forward. "You're in charge this time."

Minato took a deep breath as he approached the woman. He noticed she was older than he first thought, but decided to go for it anyways. "Hey," he coolly said with a nod.

The woman wore a revealing bikini and smiled as Minato approached her. Her smirk grew as she noticed Akihiko and Junpei following him. "Hey, cutie pies…" She giggled. "Can I help you?"

Junpei's smirk fell when he was close enough to see her age. "Uh, he-hello…" He stopped and pulled on his friends' arms. "Excuse us… We're looking for the restroom!" Minato gave him a questioning glance but Junpei leaned forward to whisper to him. "He-hey, Minato… She's pretty… old… up close!"

"It doesn't matter," the blue-haired boy replied, brushing away Junpei's hand. _Besides, it's just a game…_

The woman of questionable age smiled at Minato. "Hey, what are you whispering about?"

"What!?" Junpei's eyes widened. "Oh, uh…"

"It's nothing important," Minato shook his head. "Anyway, we noticed you were alone, so thought you would like some company. May we join you?" the blue-haired teen politely asked.

The woman tittered at his formal charm. "You guys are in high school, aren't you?"

Minato paused as he swore her smirk was becoming more predatory. _I think she's into younger men… Didn't see that coming…_

"Ye-yes!" Junpei nervously nodded. "You have a good eye!"

"I can't help it," the woman sighed. "My job—Well, that's not important. You guys wanna have some fun?"

 _Her job? Don't tell me… She's a high school teacher? Oh, geez… That's weird..._ Minato suddenly became uncomfortable and regret his decision of not backing out when Junpei gave them the chance.

"Ohh, uhhhh…" Junpei quickly thought up an excuse. "That's not right, is it? I mean, our ages…"

The woman glared at him. "What?"

Junpei pushed Akihiko forward. "A-Akihiko-san! It's your turn! It was your turn anyway, and you're closer in age to her!"

The boxer blinked. "Uh… Oh." He let out an uncomfortable cough. "Well…"

The woman's eyes gleamed as she studied Akihiko. She let out a chuckle before complimenting the white-haired boy. "You have a nice body. You're thin, yet muscular… Mmmm." She glanced over towards Minato and also noticed his figure.

Minato tensed up as the woman eyed the burn marks on his chest. _Crap… I wish I still had my shirt on…_ He sighed in relief though when the lady pointed at Akihiko.

"I choose you! You want to go on a vacation to the world of romance with me?"

Akihiko shifted. "Uh, not reall—"

The woman didn't seem to care for his answer as she cut him off with a light chuckle. "You're gonna have to keep this a secret from everybody else!" She put a hand on Akihiko's chest.

"Hey, don't… Don't touch me!" The boy flinched back.

Minato's eyes widened as he pushed Junpei forward. "Go save him!"

"Me!?" Junpei's eyes shone in fear. "Oh, uhhh… G… g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g…"

The lady looked at the shirtless junior expectantly. "Guh?"

"G-grandma!" Junpei shut his eyes as he called out. He opened one eye and noticed the woman was trembling in fury. "R… Ruuun!" Minato pulled Akihiko behind him as they retreated. When she was out of sight, Junpei sighed in relief. "That was close…"

Akihiko groaned as he had almost been taken away. "No one mentions a word of this to anyone!" He spotted another girl by herself and nudged Minato with his elbow. "There's a woman all alone. I hope we don't have an experience like last time…"

Junpei laughed. "It's okay. What are the odds of it happening again? And I feel success in the air this time!"

Akihiko frowned as he noticed it was strange for someone as beautiful as this lady to be on her own. "Kind of strange, don't you think?" he asked Minato.

The boy's blue eyes narrowed. "Yeah…"

Junpei didn't seem to notice though as he smirked at the two boys. "Well, what are we waiting for? Excuse me, miss!" He started towards the lady.

The beautiful lady turned towards them and smiled. "Yes?"

Junpei pushed Minato forward and the blue-haired boy put on a charming smile. "Are you busy?" he asked with a slight bow.

"Busy? Not at all," the woman smiled at him. "In fact, I could use some company."

"Oh, are you alone?" Minato asked, with genuine surprise.

"Yes," she continued to smile back at him. "I'm completely alone. By 'alone' I mean 'single'." Minato tilted his head to the side as she giggled. "Incidentally, I saw you hitting on those girls. How'd it go?"

"We were close," Minato shrugged. _Or at least I was… And Akihiko-senpai was almost kidnapped right in front of us._

"Oh, really?" The beautiful lady nodded at the three students. "Don't give up, boys. You have to be persistent. Have you considered any… alternative approaches?"

Junpei sighed. "We tried to be heroes, but ended up zeroes."

"Do you have to say it like that?" Akihiko groaned.

The lady laughed at the two of them. "That's so stupid it's funny!"

"H-hey," Junpei smirked. "That's not my 'A' material…"

The lady shook her head at them. "How do you expect to get a girl with that kind of attitude? You boys have no balls."

Minato furrowed his brows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," the lady nodded as she smirked at him. "Don't be shy. Embrace the unknown… Be open to the possibilities… Especially, you," she pointed to Junpei. "You cute young thing…"

Junpei froze. "M-me?"

"Yes, you. I can tell you lack experience. You're way too wrapped up in yourself. You don't think about doing anything for the GIRL to make HER feel special."

The capped boy lowered his head. "Yes, ma'am."

She turned towards Akihiko next. "And you… You're a handsome fella… but even more timid. You're the stoic type, but not very experienced around girls."

"Y-you may be right," Akihiko nodded.

"Or, rather, you seem like someone who's too much of a hassle to be with," the lady shrugged. "Like, you're super-logical about everything."

Akihiko's gaze lowered too. "Well…"

"And finally you," the lady looked back towards Minato. "I'm not sure about you."

The boy tilted his head to the side and smirked. "Hey, don't hold back."

She laughed at the boy's straightforwardness. "I mean, you're mysterious. The way you hold yourself. Those burn marks on your chests. You've even got that whole 'androgeny' thing going on. You know what I mean?"

Minato felt his cheeks burn. "N-no..!" _Dammit…_

"Wow, you're pretty innocent," the lady continued to smirk at his flustered reaction. "Mm-hmm, I think you're my type."

Junpei lifted his head. "H-hey, wait a second…"

"Juust joking…" the lady giggled at the three boys. She winked at Junpei. "I like you a lot too." She looked between the three boys. "Well, if you'd like… I'd be happy to show you a thing or two…"

"S-seriously!?" Junpei felt his hopes rising.

"I'll teach you how to treat a lady right…" She chuckled.

"I'm in!" Junpei jumped.

"But…" she frowned. "I don't know if I can handle all three of you, so… Who will it be?"

Akihiko and Junpei looked to Minato expectantly. The blue-haired leader considered his options. _She's not my type… Akihiko keeps giving her an odd look. That just leaves…_ "Junpei can go," Minato shrugged.

"That's right," Junpei triumphantly stepped forward. "I'm the only one who's worthy! I'll show you that I've got balls!"

The lady chuckled. "Then I'm sure we'll have fun."

Akihiko pulled Junpei back. "Hey, wait…"

"Whaaat!?" Junpei groaned. "Are you trying to ruin my summer of love!?"

The boxer ignored him and looked to the lady. "Uh, isn't that hair on your chin?"

The lady tensed up as a hand went up to her face. "I-I missed a spot!?"

"Uh…" Akihiko's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you a…?"

The person before them sighed. "There goes my chance… I was so close to snagging myself a little boy-toy."

Junpei's eyes widened. "Y-ya mean, SHE's a HE!?"

"I guess you fellas aren't quite ready for a woman like me…" she said, preparing to leave. "If you decide you want to try something a little spicier, then you know where to find me." The woman giggled as she brushed her hand past Minato's cheek.

Once she was gone, the blue-haired boy rubbed his face as if he were trying to get rid of germs. _I barely like it when girls hit on me… I definitely don't like it if a guy hits on me the same way. A more suave approach would have been nice…_ The boy blinked at his own thoughts. _Well, hypothetically, I suppose._ "Well… That was a complete bust. Can we leave yet?"

Junpei responded with a groan as he tried to look for other girls on the beach. In the end, nobody else was there and the three boys glumly stared at the ocean. Junpei shook his head. "This sucks… We're 0 for 4…" Akihiko sighed in agreement. "What's wrong?" Junpei looked towards him. "I thought you weren't interested in picking up chicks."

"If I'm in a match, I want to win." Akihiko stared at the waves before frowning at Junpei. "I know what our problem is… You can't control yourself."

"What!?" Junpei glared at him. "Don't blame this on me!"

"I'm just stating the obvious."

"B-but, you haven't scored either!"

"What did you just say…?" Akihko brought a fist up.

Minato ignored them as he reapplied his sunscreen for the tenth time that day. He paused when he heard the two boys stop scuffling. "Hm?"

Akihiko turned to him expectantly. "Enough already! Leader, whose fault do you think it is?"

"As far as I'm concerned?" Minato twisted his torso to get a better look at his own back. "It's both your fault. I didn't want to do this in the first place."

"I won't accept a stalemate!" Akihiko glared at Junpei. "It's either him or me!"

"Yeah!" Junpei nodded. "This is serious… now, tell us… who's…" The capped boy faltered as he spotted someone in the distance.

"What's the matter?" Akihiko asked. "You see something?"

Minato turned too and noticed a girl standing on the dock. _Huh? How long has she been there? I didn't sense anyone's presence coming to the beach…_ He stared for a while until Junpei and Akihiko pulled him behind a rock.

"Whoa…" Junpei's smile returned. "Talk about saving the best for last…! Now that's what I'm talking about! Man, she's cute…"

Akihiko nodded. "I agree…"

Minato frowned at them both before peering at the girl again. _Um… I don't quite see it… Fuuka's a lot cuter…_ He said nothing though as he turned to look at his two friends.

Junpei nodded as he psyched himself up. "This is our last chance to make up for failures… But this time we should try one-by-one instead of all together. We'll have a better shot that way."

"Sounds like a good plan," Akihiko nodded.

"Alright, then let's decide the order!" Junpei smirked. "We'll go clockwise, starting with the winner. Ready…? Rock, paper scissors!" Junpei and Akihiko put on a knowing smirk as they both shot paper. They both knew their leader was too lazy to open his hand and his apathy towards the situation meant he wouldn't care if he lost.

Minato blankly stared at his fist as he shrugged. "Whatever." He leaned against the rock and closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest.

"Yeah, I win!" Junpei smirked as he beat Akihiko. "Okay, I'll go first, Akihiko-san will go second, and you'll go last. I'm up! Wish me luck!" Junpei slowly walked towards the girl on the dock. "H-hey, h-how's it going?" he nervously asked. "I noticed you've been, uh, staring at the ocean. So, um… do you come here often? My name's Ju-Ju-Junpei."

The girl turned towards him. "Ju-Ju-Junpei?"

"Don't worry," he gave her a reassuring smile. "I-I just want to talk. I mean, it's more fun than standing here all by yourself, isn't it?"

"I am looking for a human," the girl responded mechanically.

Junpei looked around. "O-oh yeah…?"

"You are not the one," the girl returned to staring out the dock.

Akihiko winced as the capped boy made his way back towards them. The boxer gave him a sympathetic frown. "Wow, he got shot down faster than I expected…"

"Sh-she's a tough one, Senpai…" Junpei sighed.

"Heh…" Akihiko smirked as he shadowboxed for a few seconds to get his energy up. "Don't worry about me." He walked over to the girl and gave her a smile. "Well, hello there. Say, do you like the ocean?"

"Is your question directed at me?" the girl turned to look at him.

"Oh, um, yeah, I like the ocean, too," Akihiko didn't seem to notice her answer. "Hey, I heard that triathletes who train at the beach perform better than those who practice indoors. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Wow," Junpei muttered to Minato as they watched. "He's actually having a conversation with her! Although, something's not right…" The boy beside him just shrugged.

"That type of information is irrelevant to me," the girl turned back towards the ocean, leaving Akihiko to return to them with his head down.

When he got back to the guys though, Akihiko smirked at Junpei. "Heh, I won… I talked to her longer than you did."

"It doesn't matter how long you talked to her!" Junpei sighed. "This sucks," he said with a sob.

"Hey, stop crying! You're making me feel bad…" Akihiko frowned.

Junpei looked towards Minato. "So, that's our status. If you can't pull this off, I'm gonna be traumatized for the rest of my life."

Akihiko nodded as he gave Minato a seriously determined expression. "We're on the ropes, but it's not over yet… It's all up to you now."

They shoved Minato towards the girl before he could say anything. _Gee, thanks, guys._ He let out a heavy sigh as he tried to come up with something to say. _To hell with it…_ Minato took a deep bereath and studied the ocean waters before going about this in a way he was most comfortable with. "The tide is high..." he absently noted with a gentle smile as he tried to get the girl's attention in a way that wouldn't scare her off. He was startled when she suddenly turned to look at him. The girl's blue eyes studied him and Minato noticed right away she wasn't quite human. _What the…?_

From the rocks, Junpei shook his head. "I couldn't hear what he said… But she looks surprised… We should go over there."

The girl's eyes widened in realization as she studied Minato. "You are…" She quickly noticed the two boys coming out from behind the rocks. "Initiating evasive maneuver. Confirmation must be made at a secure location…"

Minato watched with wide eyes as she quickly disappeared into the forest. _What was that!?_

"Hey," Junpei frowned at him. "What did you say to make her run away like that? Well, what're you waiting for? Go after her!"

Minato frowned. "But, it wasn't my fault. You two came out and she noticed."

"Go tell her you're sorry!" Junpei shook his head. "If you don't, we'll all be in trouble! Go on, man. You can catch her if you hurry!"

The blue-haired boy let out a frustrated groan. _I really wanted to spend today taking pictures, but nope. I had to get myself dragged into this mess…_

* * *

Hamuko looked around the forest as she became separated from the other girls. "Huh?" She studied her surroundings and frowned, putting down the camera she was holding. "Maybe I shouldn't have gone after that butterfly…" She paused when she heard someone running through the woods. The brunette turned her body towards the sound and caught a glimpse of blonde hair disappearing in the thick woods.

"Wait!" A familiar voice called out. Minato entered the clearing, wearing only his swim trunks.

His younger sister stared at him in surprise. "Nii-san!?"

"Hamuko?" Minato frowned at her before deciding to reach her side. "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I was with the girls, but got separated. Nii-san—"

Minato shushed her when he felt someone watching them. He turned around and called out towards the mysterious girl from the dock. "I know you're there! You've been the one watching me since yesterday, right? Come on out!"

Hamuko spotted her too and gave the girl a smile. "Hello," she kindly nodded to her before holding out her hand to invite the other girl to join them. "It's okay. We won't bite."

The blonde girl stepped out from behind the tree and studied the two twins. She approached the twins slowly as she spoke. "Now I am certain… I was correct… I have found you." She ran towards them and hugged the two tightly. "I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!"

Minato heard Junpei and Akihiko catch up to him. Junpei's jaw dropped. "WHAT!? I can't believe this!"

Akihiko frowned. "What's going on…!? He didn't even say anything to her!" He noticed Hamuko was there too so nudged Junpei. "Actually, now I see. So that's her preference. That explains why we got the cold shoulder…"

Junpei smirked. "Oh, yeah… Minato does have that whole 'androgeny' thing… She must have mistaken him for a girl too." He paused when he heard someone running towards them.

"Hamuko!" Yukari smiled when she found the co-leader. "Thank goodness I found you." She blinked when she saw the guys were there too. "There you guys are! What are you doing here!? We've been looking all over for you!" she scolded Akihiko and Junpei.

Joining them, Fuuka frowned as she noticed Minato shirtless. Her face grew pink. "Um… What're you doing in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits…?"

Hamuko raised an eyebrow at her older brother. "Yeah, explain that for us, nii-san."

Minato frowned. "It's a long story…" He knit his eyebrows together as he watched Yukari continue lecturing the other boys.

"You have no idea what we've—Huh!?" The archer stopped ranting when she finally noticed the strange girl hugging Minato and Hamuko. "Who's this? Why's she hugging you?"

"I wonder why…" Hamuko smirked. "I think she likes us."

"W-what?" Fuuka frowned. She looked towards Minato in worry, but saw him shaking his head.

The blue-haired boy sighed. "Like I said, it's a long story..." He awkwardly looked away from the navigator and spotted Mitsuru catching up to them.

The Kirijo heiress nodded as she noticed the entire team was present and accounted for. "Listen, we've encountered a problem," she notified the boys, "I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation," she raised an eyebrow at the girl hugging her field leaders, "but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle."

Ikutsuki suddenly came out of the forest too. He smiled at the girl tightly holding onto the twins. "That won't be necessary… We've found what we were looking for."

Yukari frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ikutsuki didn't answer her as he helped free Minato and Hamuko from the blonde's embrace with a simple smile on his face. "You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis," he addressed the stranger.

"I know," the girl answered with a nod.

Minato let out a sigh of relief and Fuuka checked to make sure he was okay. He paused as he realized something though. "Wait... Lab?"

* * *

Minato finally allowed himself to relax once they returned to the house. He straightened out his shirt as he pretty much pieced together what the girls had been doing all day. The boy watched as the team took a seat and they all looked towards Ikutsuki expectantly. The man gave them all an apologetic smile. "I apologize for all the trouble. Everything is under control now."

"So," Fuuka tilted her head, "what happened to capturing the tank?"

"Oh, that's been taken care of." Ikutsuki motioned over towards the blonde girl staring at Minato and Hamuko. "Come here, Aigis."

"Coming." The girl stood before them.

Minato's eyes widened. _Wow, a fully operational android…_

"This is Aigis," Ikutsuki introduced her to them. "As you can see, she's a 'mechanical maiden'."

"I am Aigis," the girl spoke mechanically. "My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"No way…" Yukari breathed. "It's like she's… alive."

"This is unbelievable," Akihiko shook his head.

Junpei couldn't help but stare with wide eyes. "She's so cute, but… she's a robot…"

Ikutsuki smiled proudly at Aigis. "Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Aigis was the last to be made… and she's the only one that still remains today."

"An Anti-Shadow weapon…" Mitsuru's eyes widened in realization. "Does that mean she…?"

"Yes," Aigis nodded. "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion'."

"She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since." Ikutsuki's expression turned to one of worry and confusion. "It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning…"

Minato felt a chill run down his spine as the image of a fire flashed before him. _Huh?_ A silhouette was in the flames, but the vision disappeared, leaving him out of breath and sweating. _What!?_ He calmed himself the best he could.

Beside him, Hamuko glanced at him with worry. _Nii-san?_

Nobody else noticed the boy though as Ikutsuki continued. "Well, I hope you will all get along."

Fuuka smiled as she examined the android. "An Anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own… This is amazing!"

"Um…" Yukari had her doubts as she looked between Aigis and the twins. "By the way… When I saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew them…"

Minato tensed up and Hamuko placed a hand on his leg. _Calm down, nii-san._

Aigis stared at the two before focusing on Minato. "Yes, it is very important for me to be by his side."

The boy gulped. _Is Ikutsuki onto me? Shit, shit, shit…_

Fuuka noticed his face growing pale and looked towards Hamuko. The red-eyed girl gave her a worried frown, but the two said nothing as Ikutsuki examined Aigis. "Hmm…" The man couldn't find anything wrong so shook his head. "Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning… Or maybe she's still half-asleep… This is quite interesting…" He glanced over to Minato who glared back at him. Ikutsuki only smiled at the boy. _Very interesting…_ "Hmm…"

"I don't think it's that…" Yukari sighed.

 _I don't think Ikutsuki believes that either…_ Minato and Ikutsuki continued to stare at each other. _I'll have to be careful around Aigis…_

Ikutsuki shrugged as he broke eye contact with Minato. "Well, I can ponder this later. Oh, I forgot to tell you all… You can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table… even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?"

Junpei looked away from the man. "Uh…"

Minato stood up from the couch. "Sorry, but I'm a bit hungry. Hamuko, did you eat yet?"

The girl shook her head as she picked up his need to speak to her in private. "Not yet. I'll come with you."

Minato turned towards the rest of SEES. "Anyone want anything? I don't mind cooking for everyone."

"Just make us anything," Akihiko shrugged.

Minato nodded before bowing towards Mitsuru. "We'll be borrowing the kitchen for a while."

"Of course. If you need anything, just let me know," Mitsuru nodded to him.

Ikutsuki shook his head at the leaving twins. "Sorry you'll be missing out on my wonderful performance."

"Yeah, what a shame," Minato frowned as he passed the man.

Hamuko quickly pushed her brother forward though as she chuckled at the Chairman. "We'll try to catch you on stage another time, Ikutsuki-san!"

"I hope so, Hamuko." Ikutsuki cheerily smiled at the brunette before narrowing his eyes on the blue-haired boy as both juniors walked away. _He's just like his parents, or rather his mother… I wonder how much he knows about that case… I guess it won't hurt having Aigis by his side then. What a lucky break._

Once he was certain they were alone, Minato put his hands on the counter and leaned forward. He took a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. "Hamuko… I don't know how much more of this I can take… I can't go against him… He's too powerful."

"You're talking about Ikutsuki, right?" Hamuko frowned as she opened the large refrigerator and began searching its contents. Seeing how her brother had a lot on his mind, she'd take up most of the cooking.

"You dropped the honorific," her brother noticed. "Does that mean…?"

"Yeah… Something about the video Kirijo-san showed us didn't sit well with me," Hamuko explained. "I saw Takeba-san and he wanted to explain something to me, but I couldn't hear him over a lot of laughing."

"A laughing Reaper interfered, huh?"

"And you said Ikutsuki is the only one with that type of Reaper," the younger twin nodded.

"He's beginning to suspect me," Minato told her. "Not you though, so try to keep out of my investigations from now on. I don't quite know what he's capable of, but it must be a lot considering Kirijo-san and Senpai don't suspect anything. I'm going to have to dig back further into the files. All the way back to the Nanjo Group."

"Those old files?" Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "What do you need them for?"

"The Kirijo Group used to be a part of the Nanjo Group," Minato revealed to her. "And if you look at public trading agreements, both companies are actually very close to each other still."

"So…?" Hamuko set a few ingredients on the counter and Minato stepped aside as he moved to a remote corner of the kitchen.

"Kei Nanjo, current head of the Nanjo Group, hired Mom and Dad to look into Kouetsu Kirijo," he frowned. "Of course, back then, Kei Nanjo wasn't in charge, but it brings up a lot of questions."

"Oh, that's pretty suspicious. If they're so close, why hire investigators to look into his future business partner?"

"Exactly," Minato nodded. "Interesting thing I'd also like to point out. How was it that we got into Gekkoukan High School so easily? With my grades last year, there should have been no way the two of us would have gotten scholarships."

"Right," Hamuko frowned. "I'm still not sure how that happened."

"I think I have a theory," Minato smirked at her. "Do you remember my therapist last year?"

"Well, yeah. I wanted to make sure the treatment was working so I interned there. I liked working with Dr. Sonomura."

Minato smiled. "Well, did you know Dr. Sonomura used to be classmates with Kei Nanjo?"

"No, I didn't actually," Hamuko frowned.

"A lot of people in Sumaru City are connected to each other, apparently," Minato noted. "I was introduced to Dr. Sonomura by Mrs. Saeko."

"Our homeroom teacher at Seven Sister's High?" Hamuko's eyes widened. "Wait, I remember. She said a lot of students from her previous school moved to Sumaru. Even Mayuzumi-san was her student."

"That's right," Minato nodded as he remembered the woman who introduced him to photography. "Apparently, Mrs. Saeko asked her to speak with me because Mayuzumi-san used to be a delinquent and since I was rather difficult…" He shook his head. "Well, never mind that. Point is, I got really close to Mayuzumi-san and she mentioned that Dr. Sonomura was an old friend of hers. I questioned Mrs. Saeko about it and she told me that those two, along with some other students from that particular class, were very close. I think it was something about the group saving St. Hermelin High from the Snow Queen and the city of Mikage-cho from demons. I questioned her some more, but she didn't know anything else. So I asked Dr. Sonomura."

"What'd she tell you?" Hamuko asked, done with prepping the vegetables.

"She wouldn't tell me anything until I told her about my 'schizophrenic' episodes." Minato looked around the kitchen for a pan and handed it to his sister. "Once I told her about the Reapers and Dark Hour though, she seemed to understand something. She told me that she had a friend, I'm guessing it was Kei Nanjo, who knew something about what I was going through and there was a better hospital in Tatsumi Port Island that could treat me."

"Hence the sudden transfer," Hamuko nodded. "That also explains who sponsored us since the entire family was surprised by the move too."

"That's not all," Minato said as he watched the girl stir-fry vegetables. "Remember during that night in the command room, we were talking about other Persona-users? Some of those files I dug up back then seemed to be about Mikage-cho. Igor also mentioned that it's been years since the Velvet Room has had guests. What if they were the previous guests before us?"

"Persona-users outside of SEES," Hamuko said to herself.

"I'm sure they're trustworthy enough. Besides, I doubt they're murdering random delinquents in Iwatodai," Minato crossed his arms. "The deeper I get into this case, the more it doesn't make sense. Ikustuki controls the information we get so I have to find another source. I can't ask Kirijo-senpai because I'm technically looking into her family too. I'm out of options and I regret to say that I might need to visit Aragaki-san."

"Really?" Hamuko looked up towards him.

"I have no other choice," the boy shook his head. "When we get back, I'll find him. He'll probably be difficult to work with, but who else can I turn to?"

"What if I went with you?" Hamuko asked.

"Are you kidding? It's bad enough I have to go there. I'm not bringing you into danger with me." The older brother shook his head. "No, you're not going."

"But what if I can make Shinjiro-san cooperate?" The girl smirked.

Minato paused as he considered something. "You've been visiting him," he stated. "Despite me telling you not to, you went to the back alley anyways."

"You said not to go at night," Hamuko frowned. "It's much safer during the day," she looked away from her brother, "sort of."

"And what did you manage to get from him?"

"Nothing," Hamuko lowered her head. "He really is a hard one to crack."

"I'll speak to him alone then. There are things I can do but I can't let you be around for them," Minato nodded.

"Nii-san, you can't rough him up," she gave him a serious look. "He'd throttle you before you'd even know what happened."

"Hey, I have other methods of extracting information out of people," the boy shrugged.

"Personas won't work, by the way," Hamuko informed him. "He used to be a part of SEES."

"Really?" The boy looked down. "Huh…" He frowned. "I thought you said you couldn't get anything from him."

"I pieced that one together myself. He's pretty close to Akihiko-senpai, did you know?"

"Yeah, I had a feeling… And you have been hanging out with Senpai." Minato considered his options before mulling over the strange Reaper he saw on Shinjiro. "Okay, I think I have a way to get him to speak with me. I'm still going alone though, so don't even bother trying to ask. There's something I want to confirm for myself."

"Alright," Hamuko said with a frown.

"Oh, and another thing," Minato straightened up as he reached for a pot to start on making rice. "Be careful around Ikutsuki. If he does anything, let me know. And watch your back around Aigis. I don't understand her fascination with us, but it can't be good." He suddenly became silent as he remembered the burning car he saw.

Hamuko noticed his change in demeanor. "Nii-san? Did you sense something?"

"Aigis brought back an unpleasant memory," he said with a sad frown. "My memory of the accident that killed Mom and Dad doesn't sit well with me. I remember the burning car… and our screams… But why can't I remember the accident itself?"

"I can't remember either," Hamuko sadly frowned. "Maybe it's just a coping mechanism?"

"I can't accept that as an answer," Minato said, pouring out the water from his pot. "There's something more to it…"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Hang on, Fuuka. I need to change the film," Minato frowned as Hamuko used up an entire roll earlier that day.

"Maybe we should put this off until tomorrow," Fuuka suggested.

"It's still light out though," the boy looked up at the evening sky. "It won't get dark until late anyways. Besides, I want to try to capture the sunset. The beach faces west so it should be a fantastic shot."

"Oh, that's right!" The teal-haired girl smiled at him. "We should hurry to the beach then."

"Alright," Minato nodded his head and followed her through the woods.

When they finally arrived to the oceanfront, Fuuka looked around for a good vantage point to watch the setting sun. "Hmm, that dock looks like a nice spot to take pictures from," she mused aloud before making her way there.

Minato moved to follow her, but the image of her on the dock alone with the ocean glimmering behind her stunned him. He simply stared at her for a good minute until she turned around and smiled at him. Minato could only smile back before he noticed the sun behind her beginning to set. "Fuuka, it's starting to go down!" he called out.

Surprised, the girl turned back towards the sunset and began snapping her camera at the sight. "You were right, Minato-kun! The scene is amazing!"

Minato however just continued to stare. _Amazing, huh?_ He quickly but carefully climbed up the nearby rocks and got into a position where he'd be able to see the dock and the sunset perfectly. Minato then carefully framed his next shot to even include the mountainous forest that coasted the waters. The boy patiently focused his camera and waited for Fuuka to put her camera down. As soon as she did, he called out to her. "Fuuka, can you turn this way?"

The girl smiled and brought a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The breeze picked up a bit as she turned to face her friend. She heard a click as Minato lowered his camera, smiling softly at her. Realizing he had just taken a picture of her, the shy girl's face went red. "M-minato-kun?"

The boy blushed too as he slid down from his post. "S-sorry… You looked so pretty in the sunset… I kinda had to." He looked away from her and murmured something to himself. "A flower drifting on the breeze of a mountainous shore..."

"What was that, Minato-kun?" Fuuka walked towards him and noticed his face was extremely pink.

"N-no, it's nothing," he quickly shook his head, but it only made the girl more confused as to why he couldn't look directly at her. "It was just a thought I had, Fuuka," he tried to reassure her while gazing out towards the glimmering ocean. "I don't think I can properly explain it to you with words, but you'll understand once I develop the photo, so can you please wait until then?"

Fuuka nodded as she returned to his side to watch the remainder of the sunset with him. "Alright, Minato-kun," she gently smiled at him.

Minato flashed her a grateful grin as they fell into a comfortable silence. The sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon and the boy found himself glad to have actually come on this trip, despite his initial misgivings. His navy blue eyes wandered to the ocean waters where he fixedly watched the waves crash against the rocks. "The tide is high..." he absently noted with a wistful smile on his face.

"Eh?" Fuuka looked at the taller boy at her side and noticed the serene expression he wore. Seeing him completely at ease made her heart skip a beat and she was glad he was able to genuinely enjoy himself on this vacation. "Yeah," she agreed with him while gently slipping her hand into his. "Just watching the waves climb higher and higher is relaxing, isn't it, Minato-kun?"

The usually stoic teen nodded his head before lifting his gaze up at the sky. "Oh... it's getting dark... I didn't even notice how quickly time passed," he sheepishly smirked.

"Neither did I," Fuuka lightly giggled. "We should head back before the others worry about us."

"Yeah," Minato nodded and led the way back. "Here, the rocks are hard to navigate in the dark, so don't let go of me, okay, Fuuka?" he told her while squeezing her hand in his.

Fuuka blushed as she tightly held onto him. "I won't, Minato-kun."

From the forest, Junpei frowned as he watched the two return to the mansion together. "That's it?" He turned towards Yukari and Hamuko. "That's all they're gonna do?"

Yukari sighed at the boy. "It was romantic, Junpei."

"I wonder how that last shot nii-san took turned out," Hamuko said out loud. "He seems pretty happy with it."

"Seriously though," Junpei shook his head, "he asked Fuuka into the forest just to take pictures? I thought it was gonna be something more scandalous! I mean, just last night, I saw Akihiko-san and Mitsuru-s—" he paused as he heard some rustling.

The three juniors remained silent as they heard someone grunting. "H-hey," a tired Akihiko called out. "Is it any further? It's getting hard to see and this is a lot of stuff I'm carrying for you."

"Not much farther, Akihiko, I promise," Mitsuru smiled at him. "Once we arrive at the clearing, I'll set up my telescope while you can explain to me what you did on the beach today with Iori and Yuki."

"I think I'd rather not tell you," Akihiko groaned. "It was a complete disaster today. Another day I could have spent training, gone to waste."

Hamuko waited until she was sure the seniors were gone. "Let's get going," she ordered.

"H-hey, aren't we gonna follow them?" Junpei asked.

"Do you want to be executed?" Hamuko asked back.

"I can't believe the two of them are…" Yukari shook her head.

"Yeah, well apparently they are," Junpei said.

"Wow, tonight's been interesting," Hamuko giggled. She evilly glanced at her capped friend. "So what _did_ happen on the beach today, Junpei?"

"Don't ask," the boy groaned.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Woohoo... My shot at making somewhat romantic fluff. It might not be romantic really, but I think it is... I'm actually very simple and cheesy sometimes... Or at least my preferences are... But anyways, Persona 1 and 2 references. I dunno... It makes sense in my head... Plus, it works out in the long run for what I might have in mind for the future. Of course, that's me being optimistic about coming up with a story beyond Persona 3 later on.


	23. Investigative Hellhound

**Author's Notes:** And it's the final day of their Yakushima trip. I actually enjoyed the small break in the game because it actually shows the team actually bonding. I mean, after Yakushima, things start falling to shit anyways...

* * *

~22 JULY 2009~

Minato sighed as once again, Junpei and Akihiko pulled him to the beach the moment he left his room. The boy carefully applied sunscreen as he yawned loudly. "Why am I here again?"

Junpei shook his head as he stared at the ocean. "Man, it's already the third day of our trip. It's too bad we have to go home tomorrow… I'd totally stay longer if I could. But, I can't complain… A lot of cool things happened while we were here."

Minato raised an eyebrow at the boy. "I guess you're right," he relented. "But I'd appreciate it more if you guys let me sleep a little longer," he said while stifling a yawn.

"Come on, dude. You had fun yesterday," Junpei laughed at his friend before taking off somewhere.

Akihiko shook his head. "How can he be so full of energy? We were all up so late last night…"

Junpei returned with Aigis in tow. The android looked at him with confusion. "Do we have a mission at the beach today?"

"Nah," Junpei smiled as the rest of the girls arrived. "It's nothing like that. We just came here to have some fun."

Fuuka nodded her head. "Do you understand what it means to 'have fun', Aigis?"

"Of course," Aigis nodded. "Recreation is the refreshment of one's mind and body."

"Exactly!" Junpei exclaimed. "Wow, you sure know a lot about us humans. Alright, let's take one last dip before we leave!" Junpei charged towards the water with the robot in tow.

Fuuka's eyes widened. "Uh, hold on, Junpei-kun… Is it okay for Aigis to go in the ocean?"

Yukari looked over towards the blonde girl. "Oh, I'm sure she's water-proof."

Hamuko giggled as she poked her brother's chest. "Are you going to swim today, nii-san?"

"I'm tired," the boy groaned. "Can't I just be left alone?" He sat up when he noticed Aigis returning to them.

Fuuka looked at her with concern. "What's wrong, Aigis?"

"It is best that we all engage in this activity together," she said. "An activity in which only one person derives enjoyment is not the optimal method to 'have fun'."

Yukari sighed. "Ugh, do we have to…?" She looked over to Junpei who was waving them to come over. She relented as she followed Aigis into the water.

Fuuka giggled. "We should join them," she said to Mitsuru.

"Okay," the redhead nodded with a smile.

Minato crossed his arms. "Nope, I'm not getting up. I refuse."

"Nii-san…" Hamuko smirked at him but noticed Ikutsuki approaching them. "Hello, Ikutsuki-san," she smiled.

The man smiled back at her. "Are you enjoying yourself? We've been quite busy during our time here, but it looks as if we can relax a bit today."

"Finally," Minato huffed as he reclined.

"Hey," Junpei called out to them. "Akihiko-san, c'mon! It's your turn!"

"My turn…?" Akihiko frowned. "What are they doing?"

Ikutsuki laughed. "I'm glad to see everyone is having so much fun. I've already told you what time the ship will be arriving tomorrow, yes? I'll most likely head over to the port early, so don't be late."

The senior nodded to him. "Okay, I'll let everyone know."

"We can get back down to business again once we're back at the dorm," Ikutsuki reassured the three as he left.

"Got it," Akihiko nodded.

Junpei was beginning to get impatient. "Hamuko! Akihiko-senpai! You too, Minato!"

"This again…?" Akihiko shook his head. "I guess we should go too."

"B-but…" Minato sighed as Hamuko pulled him up. "Fine…" He smirked as Aigis blasted Junpei with a high-powered water cannon.

"Aigis, wait!" the capped boy shouted. "That's not what 'water gun' means! Aaaack!"

Fuuka laughed. "Junpei-kun is down!"

Yukari jumped up. "Alright, here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!"

"Attack!" Hamuko charged.

"Get ready for some Mass Destruction!" Minato smirked, joining them.

"Whoa, whoa, time out!" Junpei struggled as the team bombarded him with water balloons. "I seriously can't take much more of this…! Gyaaah!"

Minato laughed until he noticed he was having a lot of fun. _Can things really continue this way?_ He asked himself with a frown as the Fool Arcana flashed before his eyes.

* * *

~23 JULY 2009~

Junpei sighed as they finally returned to the dorm. "Man, I'm beat… It seemed to take forever to get back…"

"Yeah," Fuuka nodded. "It was a tiring trip. Please rest up so you're ready for the next operation."

"Yeah, yeah," Junpei frowned. "I don't have any plans for summer break, so I can fight Shadows all you want."

Yukari smirked at the capped boy. "Wow, you must really be bored."

"Sh-shut up, Yuka-tan."

"Whatever," the girl rolled her eyes. "We just have to defeat those last six, and it'll be all over. The Lost will get better, and everything will be back to normal, right? That's why we have to try our hardest." She looked over towards the blue-haired boy gently setting down his sleeping sister on the couch. "Isn't that right, Minato?"

"I suppose," their leader answered as he frowned to himself. That plan still didn't sit well with him but he kept his thoughts to himself as he looked out the window and at the night sky. "Hey, I'm going out," he absently stated as he started for the door.

Fuuka looked at him in surprise. "But we just got back!"

"There's something I need to check out," the boy responded. "Don't worry. I'll be back before the Dark Hour."

"What about Hamuko?" Junpei knit his eyebrows together. "You're just gonna leave her down here?"

"Just let her sleep," Minato shrugged. "I'll bring her upstairs myself one I get back. Later."

The three juniors looked to each other with concern, but didn't stop their leader. Whenever he was in his Hellhound mode, it was difficult to talk him out of something. And even if they did interfere, he'd only just snap at them. They would just have to trust him with his investigation.

* * *

Shinjiro frowned when the punks at the hangout began cheering. He put some distance between himself and the crowd before collapsing to a knee. "Ungh…" He gasped for air before sensing three people approaching him. _Tch… Them again…_

"You seem to be in great pain," a shirtless boy with long hair looked down at him.

"You guys…" Shinjiro picked himself back up.

"Oh shit, it's them…" A punk whispered as he noticed their presence.

"You mean those three?" a girl asked. "Wow, they're freaky!"

The boy shook his head at her. "Shut up! Let's go!"

A girl wearing a white dress stared at them as they all dispersed. The shirtless boy shook his head as he sighed. "Why do they always run and hide when I approach? They're like back alley rats."

"Beats me," Shinjiro answered.

"Jin…" The boy looked over to his friend with glasses beside him. "Give him the capsules."

Shinjiro reached for the pills. "Thanks. I'll pay you the same as—"

"Hold up," Jin said, pulling his hand back.

The pale shirtless young man held up a hand. "This time, information will suffice. Your acquaintances have been busy lately. I'm referring to their activities on nights when the moon is full. They've spent a great deal of time in the tower as well. Why did they take this burden upon themselves?"

Shinjiro remained silent. _Shit… They're askin' about them now? Well, I ain't a rat…_

"You do know, don't you?" The shirtless boy tilted his head to the side. "But, you don't wish to say? Is it because they are your friends?"

The image of a red-eyed girl's smiling face flashed through Shinjiro's head. "No! I've got nothing to do with them," he said a little more forcefully than he should have.

"Then, tell us," the pale boy said. "Wouldn't you agree these pills are more important than a bunch of strangers?"

"Tch," Shinjiro frowned. _Sorry, Aki._ "I don't know the details, but… Supposedly, if you destroy all those creatures… then the tower will disappear, and with it, the Dark Hour."

The boy's eyes widened. "You mean… they intend to eliminate the Dark Hour? Why would they do such a thing!? With the power they have…"

"What?" Shinjiro narrowed his eyes on the shirtless boy.

"They wish to destroy the Tower of Demise as well!?"

"Tower of Demise…?" Shinjiro never heard that one before. "Who wouldn't wanna take out that damn tower?"

Jin frowned as his friend was becoming agitated. "Easy, Takaya…"

"Yes, yes," Takaya regained his composure.

Jin handed over the pills and the three soon left. Shinjiro pulled his beanie down over his eyes as his other hand tucked the pills into his pocket. "Hmph… I can't go back… Not after what happened." Still, the boy couldn't get rid of the dread building inside him for giving up that information. _Looks like I owe Hamuko some answers after all…_

"Heh," a boy scoffed from nearby. "Looks like my theory was right."

Shinjiro looked up as a blue-haired boy stepped out of the shadows. "You…" The older boy was impressed with how well the junior could hide his presence.

Minato watched the three rogue Persona-users recede. _They have the same Reapers as Aragaki-san._ He looked over towards Shinjiro. "Lemme see those pills," he said as he walked over to the older boy.

"Like hell I'm handing them over," Shinjiro spat out.

"They reek of Death," Minato coolly said, eyes narrowing. "I'll give them back. I just want to look at one."

"Death?" Shinjiro studied the boy.

"Come on, what's with that look?" the boy crossed his arms. "You know you're dying. I know you're dying. Now hand one over."

 _So he definitely knows…_ The tall boy tossed a pill to the boy. "So, how'd you figure it out? You special?"

"Something like that," Minato shrugged as he studied the capsule in his hand. He frowned as he heard faint laughter coming from the pill. _Ikutsuki… He must be their supplier._ "I've been seeing Reapers for most of my life. Everybody dies at some point, but it never gets easier when a new one shows up in these eyes of mine." Minato handed the pill back. "So who were those guys? They have the same Reaper you do."

"They're probably the ones you're looking for in that investigation of yours," Shinjiro shrugged.

"Hamuko told you," Minato frowned.

"You oughta keep your sister on a tighter leash," the former SEES member smirked. "She's been stirrin' up shit here with her casual visits."

"Well, I have to at least thank you for taking care of her," Minato politely bowed. "I'm grateful nothing bad has come to her, Aragaki-san."

"Yeah, yeah," Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "So why are you here? It can't just be cuz you wanna kiss my ass. You want some info too?"

"That's right," Minato gravely nodded. "Hamuko told me you used to be a part of SEES. That means you must have known Ikutsuki."

"The Chairman?" Shinjiro frowned. "Why you lookin' into him?"

"He has a Reaper on him too," the blue-haired boy replied. "But his is different. It's more of a jester and it's taunting me. Traces of his Reaper are also in those pills."

"Hang on," Shinjiro shook his head. "You sayin' he's the main supplier of these suppression pills?"

"Suppression?" Minato frowned. "So they suppress your Persona?"

 _Crap… I said too much,_ the older boy frowned.

The younger boy put his hand in his pockets. "I don't really care why you take them or why you quit, Aragaki-san. I just want some answers. If you have conditions for me, name them."

"You won't tell Aki about those pills or those Reapers you see."

"That's easy enough," Minato shrugged.

"You won't tell your sister either," Shinjiro tacked on.

"That's a bit harder," the blue-haired boy frowned. "But I guess it's doable. Is that all?"

"For now," the jacketed boy nodded. "So what do you wanna know?"

"Those three Persona-users, what kind of Personas do they have?"

"I dunno," Shinjiro shrugged. "I can't really tell. I've never seen 'em."

"One of them must have a cloaking power," Minato theorized. "Do they have Evokers?"

"If they do, they hide them pretty well. That Takaya guy's got a gun, but I'm sure you know what that's for." Shinjiro shook his head. "Actually, they probably do considering they're on the suppression pills too."

"The pills… They're only for suppressing a Persona? Can they do other things too?"

"If you use a lighter dose, it probably makes it easier to control a Persona. You saw those three. They looked pretty unstable to me," Shinjiro smirked.

"So you don't know anything about Ikutsuki?" Minato asked. "Or anything about the Kirijo Group?"

"No," the boy shook his head. "I know as much as Aki about the Kirijo Group and that ain't sayin' much. Is that all you got for me?"

Minato stared down the alleyway. "Can I try one of those pills?"

"Huh?" Shinjiro looked at the boy in surprise. "Are you crazy? You just said you could sense Death coming off of 'em."

"Just a question," the boy sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I want to see if the Reapers would disappear if I take one."

"Tch, no way, kid," Shinjiro shook his head. "It ain't your time to go. 'Sides, don't you have a sister you need to look out for?"

"So if I take those pills, I really would die," Minato mused.

"You think I'm wearin' this coat for fun? It's the middle of summer and I need this to keep warm," the older boy scolded him. "You don't wanna jack up your body with this shit, kid."

"I suppose," the younger boy sighed. "But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You're not afraid of Death?" Minato asked in mild surprise.

"Like you said before, everybody dies at some point," Shinjiro frowned sadly.

"I suppose," Minato frowned back. "I guess that's all then. Thank you for your cooperation, Aragaki-san."

"Remember to not tell Aki and Hamuko," Shinjiro reminded him.

"I won't," the blue-haired boy nodded his head. "I'll let Hamuko know you said hi though. She's not going to leave me alone unless I tell her that much."

"Well, can't have you completely lie to her," Shinjiro smirked. "Tell her I said hi and to stop dropping by. Her visits give me a headache."

Minato smirked back at him. "Will do." The younger boy quickly turned to leave, but after a few steps, he paused and looked back at the rough teen. "Oh... uh... Actually, I need to ask you one more thing..."

"What's that?" Shinjiro sighed in annoyance.

The younger boy sheepishly scratched his head. "How do I get back to the dorm from here? I... might be a little bit lost," he admitted.

"You've got to be kidding me..." the brunet groaned as he wondered just how exactly Minato gained the title of Hellhound.

* * *

~24 JULY 2009~

"Good morning! Please wake up."

Minato groaned as a voice that wasn't his sister's was urgently waking him. He sat up and opened his eyes only to let out a yelp. "Aigis!?"

"Mission accomplished," the robotic girl beamed at him.

"Why are you here?" Minato asked.

"My highest prioirity is to be by your side."

 _That's just great…_ "Mission accomplished?" the boy continued to question the robot's motives.

She pointed at the sticky note he posted on his bulletin. "The paper on the wall says, 'Do things five minutes early'. Therefore, I woke you up five minutes prior to the triggering of your alarm clock."

"I don't have an alarm clock!" Minato cried. He paused when he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Hey, are you awake?" Yukari called out to him. "That girl disappeared, and we can't find her anywhere. Think you can help us out? She might've gone out on her own, like she did in Yakushima…"

"I am not a girl…" Aigis said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "I am Aigis, and I am here."

"Huh…?" Yukari noticed the door open and Aigis was indeed there. "Aigis!? How did you—"

"He was asleep and the door was unlocked so I came in," Aigis answered.

Minato's face fell. "W-what!?"

"Hey! What's everyone doing in nii-san's room?" Hamuko came in with a smile but paused when she noticed her brother's livid face glaring at Aigis. "Oh… She broke into your room too?"

"That's unlawful entry!" Yukari scolded the robot. "Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night!?"

"I propose to be on standby in this room from now on. Is this acceptable?"

"What!?" Yukari shook her head. "N-no, it's not acceptable!"

"If there is a problem," Aigis said, "then I will address it promptly."

"Uh, the problem is it's against dorm regulations…" Yukari turned towards Minato. "Well, don't just sit there! Tell her!"

It was too early for the boy to be dealing with this. He sighed and glared at Aigis. "You can't stay here."

"See?" Yukari sighed in relief. "He agrees."

"I will do as told," Aigis nodded.

"You can stay in my room, Aigis," Hamuko offered. "It's fine with me."

"Huh?" Yukari looked at her friend oddly. "You're okay with that…? Well, I guess your room'll be Aigis's room too from now on."

"I will proceed to retrieve my equipment," the robot considered. "Is it all right to place the spare ammunition on the floor?"

Hamuko nervously chuckled. "W-what?"

"Ammo!?" Yukari shook her head. "N-no, no way!"

"But I must be by her side too…" Aigis stated.

"Oh well…" Yukari sighed. "I'll have a room prepared for you on the third floor, so you can stay nearby. Oh, and don't leave the dorm by yourself, okay?"

"I will do as commanded," Aigis nodded.

The archer sighed. "I'm tired… I have practice this morning, so I gotta go…" She shrugged as she left.

Aigis remained in Minato's room, nodding as she understood something. "Everyone goes to a place called school in the morning. I comprehend."

"Yeah…" Minato frowned. "I need to change, so please get out."

Hamuko chuckled as she grabbed the robot's hand. "Let's give nii-san some space, Aigis."

* * *

Hamuko frowned at her brother. "I don't think Aigis means any harm. She can't lie at all."

"How do we know that's she's programmed to completely tell the truth?" Minato frowned as he sipped his coffee.

"We can ask her," the girl suggested.

"And how would we do that?" The blue-haired boy shook his head. "No… I need to keep my guard up until I'm certain she's safe. Even then, I can't just casually speak with her."

"I think she's just confused," Hamuko crossed her arms. "I don't know why but she gives me the same vibe as Pharos. She's looking out for us." The red-eyed girl brightened as she came up with a question that would clear things up for them. "When Aigis is around, do you hear laughing or see the joking Reaper?"

The boy frowned. "No… I don't."

"Then Ai-chan is fine!" Hamuko smirked.

"Ai-chan...?" The older brother frowned to himself before conceding to his sister. "O-okay, you might have a point, but I expect you to keep her under control then," Minato knit his eyebrows together. "This investigation really is getting to me…" He stared at his cup with a sad expression. "Besides you, I don't know who to rely on or trust anymore."

Hamuko sadly stared at her brother and shook her head. "Speaking of your investigation, Junpei told me you went out last night. Did you see Shinjiro-san?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "He told me a few things. Apparently, there's three renegade Persona-users. He's seen them in the back alley, so I suggest you avoid that place, Hamuko. Aragaki-san thinks they've been watching us."

"O-okay…" the girl seemed down that she'd no longer be able to visit the tall boy.

"H-hey," Minato looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I might like Shinjiro-san," Hamuko admitted. "I worry about him a lot. Is he eating well? Is he getting enough sleep? Things I usually ask you about, but it's different when I apply it to him. I get scared because I don't know the answers to those questions."

"Hamuko…" The blue-eyed boy lowered his gaze and frowned as he thought of the boy's imminent death. "I-I don't think you should be getting involved with him. It wouldn't be good for you."

"B-but… I want to help him, nii-san. He looks so sad every time I see him. He hides it but it's still there. I don't want him to be alone."

"But what if that's his choice?" Minato questioned her.

"Nobody wants to be alone, nii-san. You should know that better than anyone," she quietly said.

The boy paused for a moment. "Y-you're right… I'm sorry. I forget sometimes you don't like to be alone…" They remained silent as Minato quickly downed his coffee. "Let's not talk about this anymore, Hamuko." He tried to come up with another topic. "Oh, I got all of my film developed on campus today. We actually got some nice shots during our trip. There's one I'm particularly happy about and I can't wait to show Fuuka."

"Is it of her, nii-san?" Hamuko smiled as she knew her brother set the conversation up specifically so she could tease him.

"H-hey," her brother smirked back. "It was a perfect shot. I couldn't help but take it."

"It must be perfect if you're this happy about it," Hamuko pointed out with a laugh.

Minato chuckled but he noticed the pain still hidden behind her red eyes. He let out a heavy sigh. "Hey, Hamuko?"

"Yeah, nii-san?" The girl looked at her brother, noticing he was being serious.

"I'm probably going to visit Aragaki-san again. When I do, I'll give him your number, okay? If it means that much to you, I'll tell him to give you a call."

"Really?" the girl's smile returned.

"Y-yeah," Minato nodded. "J-just don't be sad if it doesn't work out, okay?" The older twin coughed as he shook his head at the girl. "Aragaki-san seems pretty difficult. What's so attractive about a guy with his personality?"

"You're one to talk," Hamuko pulled on his cheek. "You're the same way sometimes. I'm surprised you're so sweet towards Fuuka-chan but so prickly to everyone else." She stopped teasing him as she gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, nii-san. You're the best."

Minato sighed but his expression remained soft. "Anything I can, sis. I don't like it when you don't smile. Things just don't feel right."

 _Shinjiro-san thinks the same thing,_ Hamuko smiled to herself. _He really is just like nii-san…_ She finished her drink and waited for her brother to pay.

Minato checked the time and looked at her expectantly. "Hey, you still have time? I want to stop by Escapade before we go."

"Another fortune reading?" Hamuko guessed.

"Yeah," her brother nodded. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Sure," the younger twin shrugged. She followed him to the closed club but was surprised when the bouncer opened the door for them without a word. "You must come here a lot."

"Like I told you before, Mama has connections." He smiled at the fortune teller and gave her a polite bow. "I'm back. I brought my sister with me this time, so I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Mama smiled at the two. "It seems you both carry the same fate. Both of you are bearers of light and shadow. It's just represented more strongly within you."

"Light and Shadow?" Hamuko repeated. _Just what sort of fortunes are we dealing with here?_

Minato took a seat and motioned for his sister to continue. "So what's my fortune today?"

"You have two fortunes today also," the lady smiled. "Would you like to know them?"

Hamuko nodded her head, curious. "Yes, please."

The red-eyed girl watched as the crystal ball on the table began to glow. The woman began speaking and the brunette made out the shape of multiple Evokers. "Guns scattered in the billowing Shadow… Arms reach in to grasp them…" The various members of SEES flashed through the orb, aiming their Evokers at themselves. "Their muzzles pointed at different shadows; their triggers pulled on different occasions…" Hamuko saw the image of three middle school students pointing Evokers at themselves before one faded away. The remaining two grew taller and six more people joined them. The image split in half as three faint figures stood in the group's shadow, while one figure stood at the border between both groups. "Where do you point your gun? What will occur as a result of its firing?" Everyone faded except for two figures Hamuko made out to be her and her brother. "Can you collect all of the guns that have been scattered…?" The image suddenly faded.

"Wow…" Hamuko was amazed. The fortune wasn't specific and was very vague, but she felt as though she learned a lot from those visions.

"And our other fortune?" Minato asked.

Mama nodded as she looked back into her ball. "Very well… I see a girl…" Minato frowned as Aigis appeared standing at the border of darkness and light. "She stands between light and dark, life and simulacrum… She falters… As if not knowing on which side she belongs…" Minato saw Ikutsuki on one side of the border while he himself was on the other side. "Hm..? She is trying to tell you something…" Aigis reached out towards Minato. "Can you hear her words…?"

Minato's vision flashed as the memory of his parents' death returned to him. _What!? Aigis… knows something about that?_ He rested his hand on his head.

"You seem troubled," the fortune teller looked at Minato with concern.

"A memory…" the boy frowned. "Something I must have forgotten."

"Something the both of us forgotten," Hamuko crossed her arms.

"The key lies in the shadows," the lady nodded to them. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

The twins left Escapade and Hamuko looked to her brother with worry. "These fortunes… They're very good, but they're extremely vague."

"They're good to keep in mind," Minato nodded. "The thing about fortune telling is knowing when to listen and when to make your own decisions. But now I know one thing for certain. You were right about Aigis."

"You're going to pull her into the light?" Hamuko smirked.

"How do you know I'm not the one in the shadows?" the older boy smirked back.

"We'll just have to see then," Hamuko shrugged.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Hamuko carefully examined her violin bow before lifting the instrument up. As soon as she began playing, the other members of the team relaxed throughout the lounge. The red-eyed girl closed her eyes as she continued to practice.

From the couch, Mitsuru smiled as she continued reading her novel. Beside her, Akihiko had fallen asleep while reading the newspaper. Junpei turned the TV volume down as he flipped through the channels to find something interesting to watch. Aigis stood near them as she focused on Hamuko's playing.

In the kitchen, Yukari ate her dinner as she listened. She watched as the two photographers across from her were busy studying their negatives. Minato softly began to hum along to Hamuko's violin. Fuuka lightly giggled at him as she listened to him. The boy's face turned red as he stopped. He looked back towards Hamuko and watched as she finished the song.

His twin smirked towards him. "So?"

"Pretty good," the boy shrugged. "Your tempo needs work though. The count sped up in the middle without you realizing. You also panicked a bit towards the end, thinking you missed a repeat, didn't you?"

"A good ear as always, nii-san," Hamuko nodded as she made a few marks on her music sheet.

Yukari looked to the boy in surprise. "You can actually tell all that?"

Fuuka agreed with the brunette. "But she sounded amazing."

Mitsuru smiled at the violinist. "No, Yuki is correct. That piece should be much slower. It was a beautiful performance nonetheless, Arisato."

"Thank you, Senpai," Hamuko slightly bowed before noticing Aigis curiously staring at her violin. "Would you like to try, Ai-chan?"

"Would that be okay?" Aigis asked her.

"Sure!" Hamuko dragged the robot towards her music stand and showed her how to hold the violin. "Just gently drag the bow across the strings like this!" Hamuko guided the blonde's hand and produced a note.

Aigis nodded in understanding. "I see. The vibrations of the strings travel through—"

Junpei chuckled, interrupting her before she could start on a long-winded explanation of how the violin works. "Come on, Ai-chan! Try playing something."

The blonde nodded and began playing on her own, resulting in Minato flinching from the terrible screech. Akihiko bolted up as the noise startled him awake. "What's going on?" He looked around in confusion before noticing the android holding Hamuko's violin. "Oh… Uh… That was a nice try, Aigis," he coughed.

Aigis looked at the instrument in confusion. "I believe I do not have the skill necessary to perform as Hamuko-san did."

"That's alright," Hamuko smiled. "I'll just have to teach you."

The juniors at the dinner table looked to each other with varying degrees of uncertainty plastered over their faces. In the end, Yukari nervously chuckled as she tried to encourage the robot to do her best.. "I'm sure you'll get it, Aigis."

Akihiko chuckled. "This'll be interesting to watch," he nodded.

Junpei tugged his cap down. "Um… Whatever you say, Akihiko-san."

"Let's start the lesson then," Hamuko nodded.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Minato sighed.

Fuuka giggled at the boy. "I'm sure things will be fine."

For the rest of the evening, Minato winced as the noise was painful to sit through. The rest of SEES endured it with him though. Hamuko gave them all an apologetic frown, but continued with the lesson. By the end of the night, Minato was banging his head on the dining table, hoping to knock himself out.

* * *

 **Final Notes** : I left Minato's extracurriculars defaulted in the story because the story just made more sense that way. Fuuka's love of technology just doesn't translate well into the Music or Art club. Personally, I love and hate photography... I took a class in high school once and found it fun, but I'm just no good at taking pictures. Okay, maybe it was only because manual focus on a camera is a hassle for someone with glasses... I loved developing negatives and pictures though. I was pretty good at it, but it doesn't matter if my shots weren't focused to begin with... I am more of a music person though so whenever I play, I tend to join Music Club. When it comes to bands though, I tend to guess what type of instrument would suit a person and I was right when Minato turned out to be a violinist. Here though, Hamuko seems more of the violinist than Minato. I guess that just leaves Art for Naoto? Well... I'm pretty sure the three are capable of any form of fine art anyways. Sukuna-Hikona plays the violin in Dancing All Night too and it's very fitting for her.


	24. Minato's Curse

**Author's Notes:** It's a good thing the game puts in things to fill up the summer void... I don't really like long school breaks myself because I get bored after the first and a half week.

* * *

~25 JULY 2009~

Kaz crossed his arms once he brought Minato to the gym. "Coach wants to speak with you, man."

Their coach nodded towards his star in thanks. "Good job, Kaz." He looked over towards Minato and smirked. "Hey, Minato. You got a minute? Since you're a transfer student, you probably don't know about the upcoming competition, right? Well, on August 2nd, there's a big tournament. I want you to compete, so start training! You'll be going up against a monster named Hayase, but you can handle it. This year, we won't lose so easy! Make sure you come back to school from July 27th to August 1st, alright? I'm gonna make you work like you've never worked before, so be ready!"

Minato's eyes went wide. "O-okay… Sure thing, Coach." The man nodded to him before returning to the main building. Minato frowned as he looked to Kaz. "Looks like he's counting on me."

"Yeah, man," his friend solemnly nodded. "You gotta take my place since I can't compete. Do your best, okay? You're the best we got now that I have to sit out."

"Leave it to me," Minato smirked. _Looks like I have plans for summer break after all. Between this, Tartarus, and investigating, I guess I'll be pretty busy._

* * *

Hamuko chuckled as Kaz and Minato explained the tournament to her. "Looks like you're going to be busy for a while, nii-san."

"Yeah," the boy nodded. He paused when he noticed Kanou enter the classroom. "Hey, isn't Kanou the advisor of the Volleyball Team?"

"Ah, Hamuko-san," the teacher called out to the girl.

Hamuko turned and smiled to the young woman. "Yes?"

"About the club… do you know about the fellowship we'll be doing at another school? You'll all get to play Volleyball at a school in the countryside. Imagine that fresh air! And at night, there'll be delicious food and a hot springs!" The teacher giggled in anticipation. "Doesn't that just sound wonderful? In two days from now, you'll have practice here for a week, then leave for the other school. Don't forget, okay?"

"I understand. It sounds exciting," Hamuko smirked.

Once the woman left, Minato frowned. "Lucky… Another vacation right after Yakushima… Hot springs are more enjoyable than the beach too," he sighed.

Kaz shook his head. "Cheer up, man. Yuko says we're travelling with them to save on train fare. The tournament's gonna be out in the boonies but all the best teams'll be there, so we're counting on you, okay?"

"I've got it," Minato sighed before wearing a thoughtful expression. "I wonder if Mamoru Hayase is any good. I've heard rumors but nothing is certain until I see him with my own eyes."

"Well, good luck, nii-san!" Hamuko encouraged him.

"Yeah, thanks. We're heading to practice now. I'll catch you later," Minato nodded.

Kaz fired himself up. "Get ready to run until you puke, Yuki! Mamoru's going down!"

* * *

Hamuko was surprised when she saw Ken sitting in the dormitory lounge as she returned. "Ken-kun?"

The boy looked up at her with wide eyes. "Oh, hello, Hamuko-san! My name is Ken Amada," he bowed as he introduced himself properly. "I'll be staying her for a while. I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so don't mind me."

"You moved in sooner than I expected, Ken-kun," Hamuko smiled at him. "Have you met everyone else?"

The elementary school student thought about. "I think so. No, wait," he shook his head. "I haven't properly met Minato-san yet."

"He hasn't returned?" Hamuko asked him.

"No, not yet. I heard from the others that he's training for an upcoming tournament. He's a part of the Track Team, right?"

"But practice ended hours ago…" the girl frowned in worry.

"I'm sure he's alright," Akihiko said, coming down the stairs. "It's good to see him taking his training seriously. Our school will take the title this year for sure!" the senior smirked as he rummaged through the fridge for a protein shake.

Hamuko smiled at both boys. "Well, I have to prepare for my volleyball fellowship, so good night."

"Good night, Hamuko-san," Ken smiled at her before returning to the news.

Akihiko nodded to her too. "Night. You better take your training seriously too. You might not have a tournament, but it's good to keep your skills sharp."

"I understand, Senpai," Hamuko nodded before going up to the third floor. She paused outside Fuuka's room for a moment though. After a second of deliberation, the red-eyed girl knocked. "Fuuka-chan! It's me. Can I talk to you?"

"Hamuko-chan?" Fuuka quickly answered and gave the co-leader a confused expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Nii-san isn't back and I was wondering if you knew where he was."

"Um, no," Fuuka frowned. "I haven't seen him all day actually. I heard the Track Team is preparing for a big competition."

"But practice ended hours ago," Hamuko pointed out. _Where did he disappear to? Did he go to see Shinjiro-san again?_ "Hey… can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you scan for him? Check to see if he's at Port Island Station."

Fuuka nodded and let the girl into her room. "Sure. Do you think something happened to him?"

"No, but he's been going there a lot lately for his investigation," Hamuko stated. "Given how convoluted the streets are, I just want to make sure he's not lost or anything. You know how nii-san is."

The teal-haired girl quickly summoned Lucia and searched for the boy's presence. "Found him! I sense him in the back alleys. He doesn't seem to be in danger." _Huh!?_ Fuuka sensed another Persona that wasn't Orpheus. It was a faint presence, but it seems Minato was meeting with this person. "I think Minato-kun is speaking to someone with a Persona…"

Hamuko let out a sigh of relief. "That must be Shinjiro-san," the girl reassured Fuuka. "Nii-san's okay then. Sorry to ask you to do that, Fuuka-chan. I'll head off to bed now."

"W-wait," Fuuka frowned at her. "You're not worried something might happen to Minato-kun while he's there?"

Hamuko shook her head. "No, I trust nii-san can take care of himself and Shinjiro-san is there too." The brunette chuckled to herself as she doubted anyone would dare mess with both intimidating boys. "Besides, I'm sure nii-san's only there because I asked him to check up on Shinjiro-san. He should be back soon, granted he doesn't get lost on the way back."

"I suppose if you think he's fine, I guess he will be," Fuuka sheepishly chuckled in agreement.

The brunette frowned to herself as she sensed something was bothering the navigator. "Hmm? What's wrong, Fuuka-chan?"

"Oh, sorry," the teal-haired girl shook her head. "I was just thinking... You and Minato-kun seem to be distracted ever since we got back from Yakushima. Is there something on your minds?"

"Not really," Hamuko shook her head as she didn't think she had anything plaguing her. "Well, the two of us will be busy over the break," she remembered. "Plus, there's an operation coming up. Maybe the stress has been getting to us? I'm sure it'll pass once my fellowship and his tournament are over."

"I see," Fuuka nodded in understanding, but for some reason, she couldn't help but shake off the feeling something was off. Hamuko genuinely didn't seem to notice though, so maybe the problem lied with Minato instead. Fuuka mentally dismissed those thoughts though as she didn't want to worry the younger twin with her speculation. "Sorry," she gave the brunette an apologetic smile, "I guess I was just overthinking things."

"You've been spending way too much time with nii-san then," Hamuko lightheartedly chuckled, "But thanks for checking up on him for me. I'm going to bed now, so good night, Fuuka-chan."

"Good night, Hamuko-chan," Fuuka smiled back as she closed the door behind the brunette. When the navigator was alone, she frowned to herself as her sense of foreboding remained. Actually, it might have just increased without the co-leader present to reassure her their leader was safe. _Minato-kun…_ Fuuka worriedly shook her head. _Maybe I should keep track of your movements tonight…_

* * *

Minato watched as the punks stared at him suspiciously. He ignored them as he continued down the alleys. One guy recognized him and smirked. "It's the Gekkoukan Hellhound! Check it out!"

Minato paused and looked towards the boy with bleached hair. "You have some business with me?"

"Rumors are you have connections to the police," the teen smirked at him. "Lookin' for someone?"

"Maybe," the blue-haired boy shrugged.

"You know... We don't take too kindly to gumshoes 'round here."

"Is that so?" Minato tilted his head forward and stared him down.

"If I take you out, that'll up my rep around these parts. No hard feelings, eh?" The boy pulled out a switchblade and lunged towards the SEES leader.

Minato calmly dodged to the side. His arm came up and deflected the boy's arm before grabbing it and twisting it behind the punk's back. "So… What kind of rumors have been spreading about the Hellhound of Gekkoukan?" Minato tugged on the boy's arm and watched him squirm in pain. "I'm just a normal schoolboy, don't you think?" When the boy didn't answer, Minato pulled a bit harder, causing the punk to scream.

"L-let go!"

The blue-haired boy let him go and pushed him to the side. "It's not like you're the one I'm looking for. Get out of here before I lose my patience." The teen scurried away with the rest of his friends as Minato continued down the alleyway. He finally spotted the person he was looking for frowning at him in a corner. "Shinjiro-san…" Minato greeted him with a nod.

The taller boy stared at him with steel-grey eyes. "You're back…" Shinjiro looked towards the other kids as they scurried off to give them space. "You really had to make a scene?"

"He started it," Minato shrugged.

"So why're you here today? I don't have anythin' new to share," Shinjiro frowned.

The blue-haired boy took out a note from his pocket. "It's from Hamuko. With those three Persona-users running around, I don't want her poking her head around here. She'd like to see you again though, so here I am."

"Your sister's such a pain," the older boy sighed. "What? She got a crush on me or somethin'?"

"Something like that," Minato shrugged. "Just take it. I don't like it either, but what can I do? She's my little sister and I've got to keep her happy. Safe and happy…"

"You're just like Aki," Shinjiro chuckled.

"Excuse me?" the younger boy frowned.

"Never mind," the jacketed boy shook his head as he accepted the slip of paper. "I ain't making any promises of actually seeing her though."

"That's fine." Minato crossed his arms. "I'd rather you let her down than get her hopes up anyways."

"You tried talkin' her out of it?"

The blue-eyed boy chuckled at that. "She's pretty stubborn. Even if I pestered her more on it, she'd just ignore me."

Shinjiro smirked at him. "Tch, so you just gonna leave it to me?"

"I'm sorry to be a bother," Minato lowered his gaze. "I don't want to, but I have to leave her in your care. Please let her down gently, Shinjiro-san."

The brunet studied the junior before his expression softened. "Yeah…" He began coughing and Minato quickly looked to him in concern. _Shit… Not again…_ Shinjiro grabbed his head as he felt his Persona trying to come out.

Minato caught the taller boy as he collapsed. "Shinjiro-san!"

"Get away, kid! I-I'm dangerous!" Shinjiro reached into his pockets.

The blue-haired boy watched as he fumbled with the small suppression pill. Minato quickly grabbed the pill and got the older boy to swallow it. Shinjiro calmed down as his headache subsided. He noticed the blue-eyed boy look up at him with worry. "Are you okay, Shinjiro-san?"

"Yeah," Shinjiro responded as he straightened up. "Thanks." He put his hands into his pockets to check if he had any remaining but he couldn't find any. _Tch…_

"I should get going then," Minato said, taking a step back. He paused though when he sensed something was off. He glanced around the back alley and noticed the other remaining teenagers had scattered in fear. _Huh?_ The junior spotted three Reapers in the distance and frowned. "Looks like they're here to see you again, Shinjiro-san…"

"You should go while you still can," the older boy roughly said.

"It's too late for me to go without them noticing me," Minato responded back as his frown deepened into a scowl. "Besides, our paths would have crossed eventually."

"Really, I think you should go." Shinjiro eyed the three approaching them but watched as Minato quickly switched into Hellhound mode. _Tch… You're just as troublesome and stubborn as your sister._

"Good evening," Takaya smiled at Shinjiro. "I'm glad to see that you're well." He motioned for Jin to give the tall boy more pills before noticing the blue-haired boy. "Oh… It seems you have a friend today…"

"Minato Yuki," the SEES member introduced himself with a curt nod of his head.

"You're not a part of the normal riffraff around here," Takaya noted.

"No," Minato tiled his head to the side. "You're not either." He examined the group of three Persona-users as Shinjiro accepted the pills. "So what're you dealing? Meth? Coke? X?"

"It ain't any of your business," Jin glared at him.

"Jin, manners," Takaya shook his head at Minato in apology. "He's just joking after all. He knows who we are. In fact, doesn't he seem familiar to you?"

Jin studied Minato. "Hey, you're from that group…"

"Glad you recognize me," Minato sarcastically said. "You were watching us during the last full moon."

"I'm surprised you noticed," Takaya smirked at him.

"It's not that hard if you know what to look for." Minato's eyes darted to the Reapers following them.

Takaya chuckled. "Incidentally, I see that you've again added a new ally to your ranks." He shook his head as he looked towards Shinjiro. "Well, I suppose it's more of a pet than an ally."

"Makes no different to me," Shinjiro shrugged.

"It seems that what you told us before about their intentions was true." Takaya frowned at Minato. "How lamentable… Now, we have no choice but to intervene. It is up to each individual how he will use the strength granted him… But, to erase the Dark Hour would be denying the very power you possess. We cannot tolerate that."

Minato slightly tensed, glad he had his Evoker hidden on him. "Well, I'm sorry our opinions differ on this," the boy frowned.

"Do whatever you want…" Shinjiro scoffed. He tried to walk away, but Jin called out to him.

"Hold it. What're you gonna do? I know they asked you to come back." He nodded towards Minato. "Isn't that why he's here?"

"You're startin' to piss me off," the tall boy scowled. "He ain't here to recruit me. He had other business to take care of."

Minato shrugged. "He's right. I came here for something else." He thoughtfully stared at Shinjiro before tilting his head to the side. "We could always use another fighter, but then again, you've seen us. I'm sure we're strong enough to handle the Shadows and you three. In fact, I should be more than enough for now." The blue-haired boy leaned forward a bit as he and Takaya had a stare down.

"You're goin' down, ya hear me?" Jin glared at the junior before looking towards Shinjiro. "And if you're on their side, then you're going down too."

"Like I said before…" Shinjiro said, walking away. "It doesn't concern me." He paused though as the Dark Hour finally hit.

Seeing as how he was no free to do whatever he wished at this time, Takaya shrugged as he pulled out his revolver. "Well, if it doesn't, I suppose I should dispose of him now," the culprit of the Dark Hour murders simply stated as he pointed his weapon at Minato. "It'll save us the trouble of having to do so later."

Minato's eyes narrowed as his hand reached for his Evoker. "Like I said, I can take the three of you on, no problem."

Shinjiro turned around as Takaya began firing rounds at the blue-haired boy. Minato quickly dodged the shots, preempting where the shirtless boy was aiming at. The tall brunette frowned as he watched the SEES field leader summon a Persona, deflecting a few more shots. "You dumbass, you can't fight here!"

"What? You gonna help him?" Jin eyed Shinjiro suspiciously.

Minato suddenly appeared before the glasses-wearing boy and smirked. "You should really pay attention to your surroundings in a battle," he said before headbutting him.

Angry that the younger teen caught him off guard, Jin reached into his pocket for an explosive. "Go to hell!"

Minato saw the small orb come towards him and jumped back. A burst of flame appeared on the ground. "Come on… Why not use your Personas? Prove to me the 'power you possess', you shirtless freak!" he taunted Takaya as he continued firing towards him only to miss.

Takaya shot the boy a peeved glare. "You… If you wish to witness my power, I'll show it to you!"

"Takaya, don't!" Jin pushed his friend away as he pulled up an Evoker with his left hand. "I'll deal with him myself! Moros!"

Minato's eyes widened. _Bingo…_ He pulled up his own Evoker once more. "Sati!" The flames of Jin's pendulum-like Persona glanced off of Sati and Minato. "So you _do_ have Evokers," he scowled. "Where'd you get them?"

"Piss off!" Jin tossed another bomb and Minato casually knocked it aside, completely protected from its blast. The nerdy boy glanced towards the girl beside him but Minato noticed the exchange.

The blue-haired SEES member quickly caught the chained hatchet coming towards him and sharply pulled, catching the girl off guard. "You all telegraph your moves so predictably…" he sneered. "Now let me show you my 'power'." He put his Evoker to his head. He let out a roar as he focused on channeling two Personas at once. "Black Frost! King Frost! Fusion Spell: King and I!"

An icy wind erupted from his mind as both Personas appeared. The three renegade Persona-users were surprised by the SEES member's attack. They became frozen in place as the blue-haired boy forced out a maniacal laugh.

"It worked… The Fusion Spell worked," Minato stared at his Evoker. "And I didn't need Hamuko to pull it off." He bent over as he caught his breath. "Wow… That's draining, but it worked!" He slowly straightened up and tried to regain his composer but frowned when he finally noticed the Dark Hour had arrived. "Huh?"

Shinjiro frowned deeply in concern as he continued to watch the younger boy from the sidelines. While Minato mildly looked around at their surroundings in confusion, the brunet decided to stay a while longer in order to keep an eye on the younger boy. _Now I get why you wanted my help, Hamuko. He's dangerous on his own. He'd throw himself off the deep end if someone ain't properly watchin' him._ The older boy continued to remain silent, however, as the volatile junior approached the downed Takaya.

"So," Minato triumphantly sneered at the shirtless young man, "What was that about finishing me off?"

"Y-you're more powerful than I thought," Takaya smiled back. "Such raw fear… You hate the Dark Hour… Yet the power it's blessed you with is amazing…"

"Blessed? You don't know the half of it," the blue-eyed boy said as his eyes narrowed. "Who's your supplier of those suppression drugs? How'd you awaken to your Personas? Where'd you get your Evokers? Tell me!"

"What will you do if I don't answer?" Takaya smirked at him. "Kill us? We don't fear Death, you fool."

"What about pain then?" Minato's voice darkened as he grabbed the boy by the throat.

"Minato!" Shinjiro didn't like where the leader of SEES was taking this. "That's enough!"

Takaya's smirk only grew as he stared at the blue-eyed boy in front of him. "My… That look in your eyes is quite marvelous… You can sense them, can't you? You're just like us…"

"Like hell I'm like you!" Minato shouted, tightening his grip.

"How many times have you seen Death?" Takaya continued to taunt the boy. "I wonder… Do the others know? Or are you afraid of revealing the truth to them? Death follows you… It's attracted to your very being…"

"Shut up!" Minato sharply jerked his head forward, colliding his skull into Takaya's face. "Just give me the answers I'm looking for!"

Shinjiro noticed Jin getting up so cried out in warning. "Minato!"

The junior dropped Takaya and turned as Jin fired his Evoker. With not enough time to react, Minato was immediately downed thanks to King Frost's weakness to fire. "Gah!"

Takaya shook himself free from his grasp and clutched his head. He laughed through the pain as he stared at Minato. "You wish to see my power? Here it is! My Persona! Hypnos!"

Minato willed himself to get up but his injuries prevented him from moving as quickly as he could. He tried to focus on summoning a Persona without his Evoker, but a splitting headache made him cry out as Orpheus answered his call. "Ngah! Orpheus!" The junior let out a piercing scream as his Persona began convulsing. Black shadows erupted from the lyrist and Minato watched as his Persona once again turned into another Persona.

It was similar to the Reaper Persona he had first summoned with Hamuko. Its body shape was similar, but this new Persona seemed incomplete. It emitted a monstrous roar from its partially decaying face. Minato felt his blood run cold at the sound as he could feel the Persona's volatile thirst for Death overtake him.

Takaya marveled the new Persona that erupted from the boy. "What a magnificent power!"

Minato collapsed to his knees. "S-stop! Orpheus! C-calm down!" His Persona didn't listen as it let out another gruesome roar. It reached for Takaya and lifted the shirtless boy up.

 _Shit! He's losing control!_ Shinjiro rushed to the junior's side. "Get a grip! Call it back!"

"Takaya!" Jin watched as his friend stared at the monster fearlessly.

"Orpheus! Stop!" Minato screamed at the top of his lungs. The Persona finally responded as it let out a roar to match the boy's cries. Minato fell forward and put his arms out in front of him. His hands splashed into a random pool of blood as he tried to catch his breath.

Takaya landed on his feet and smiled at the terrified boy. "Yes… What a magnificent Reaper you have protecting you… It's a shame you hate it so… Such wasted potential…" Takaya shook his head in disappointment. "Jin, give our new friend a bottle of the pills."

"What? Why should we—?" Jin paused as he studied the blue-haired boy. "I get it, Takaya." He reached into his pocket and tossed a bottle towards Minato.

"If you wish to join us in Strega, you're more than welcome to," Takaya smiled at the SEES leader, "Minato Yuki. Perhaps then you'll get the answers you wish for as well as some assistance to free your mind from your fears." He turned to the other two beside him. "Let's go. With how eventful tonight was, I'm quite tired…"

Minato stared at the bottle before him as he absently picked it up. "W-what just happened?" he asked aloud to no one in particular.

Shinjiro frowned at the boy as he helped him to his feet. "You almost lost control of your Persona."

"These pills…" The blue-haired boy clutched the bottle tightly. "Should I take them?"

"Hell no!" The older boy snapped at him. "You wanna jack up your body? You managed to get your Persona to listen, right? You don't need the suppressants."

"But that other Persona… If that thing returns…" Minato began shaking. _If I can't control it… Everyone will be in danger…_

"Minato-kun!" a voice called from behind them.

Shinjiro turned and saw Fuuka coming towards them. "It's Yamagishi," he informed the blue-haired leader.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka looked at the boy in worry. "D-did something happen? I sensed Orpheus, but then a powerful presence drowned him out. It felt like a Shadow, but also like a Persona." She reached for the blue-haired boy but paused when he flinched backwards.

"S-stay back!" Minato looked at her with panic over his face. "D-don't touch me!" He stared at the blood on his hands in terror.

Shinjiro stood at the girl's side as he explained the situation to her. "His investigation brought him a bit of trouble. You should take him back to the dorm before something else happens."

"I-I can't go back!" Minato shook his head. "I'll put everyone in danger! The Reapers will…" He began to hyperventilate. "D-dammit!" He fervently tried to open the bottle.

"Hey!" Shinjiro wrestled it away from the boy. "Like hell I'm letting you take those! You lookin' to die early?"

"Give them back! I need them!" Minato tried to reach for them but the taller boy held them above his head.

"And I'm telling you no!" Shinjiro snapped. "You're making your friend worry!"

Minato paused as he slowly looked over to Fuuka. The girl's brown eyes stared at him with concern. "Fuuka," Minato spoke as calmly as he could but even he could hear the desperation in his voice. "Go back to the dorm," he ordered her while lowering his gaze. "You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you," Shinjiro grunted, slipping the bottle into his coat. He emptied most of the contents into his pocket before closing the cap.

"Minato-kun," Fuuka gently spoke to him. "Let's go home."

"I'm not going," Minato sullenly said, not even looking at her.

"Now you're just being a brat," the older boy rolled his eyes. "Hey," he looked towards Fuuka. "Does anyone else know you're here?"

Fuuka shook her head. "Hamuko-chan did ask me to scan for Minato-kun when he didn't return from practice, but she didn't seem to think anything was wrong though so went to bed..."

"Then why did you come?" Minato asked.

"The Dark Hour began… And you still didn't return so…" Fuuka lowered her gaze. "I came to bring you home." She slowly got closer to the boy. "Minato-kun," she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Let's go…"

The boy blankly stared at her arm. "Fuuka…" he began as his hand twitched towards his Evoker. "Don't make me force you to go back alone…"

"Bullshit you're gonna hurt her," Shinjiro glared at him. He turned his head towards the girl. "Back up a bit."

Fuuka did as she was told but suddenly called out when Shinjiro punched the blue-haired boy in the stomach, carefully slipping the bottle into the boy's pants pocket as he did so. "Minato-kun!" She knelt by the other junior's side.

Minato bowled over and began coughing. He glared up at the dropout. "W-what was that?"

Shinjiro ignored him as he nodded to the teal-haired girl. "You can take him back now. He's got no fight left in him."

"S-says you," Minato growled as he tried to stand up. He winced as the pain in his stomach gave him a coughing fit.

"Take him back to the dorm _now_ ," Shinjiro ordered. "It's late…" He walked away from the two juniors and Minato just glared at his back.

Fuuka carefully supported Minato's weight before taking him with her. "Minato-kun…" The two made slow progress as the girl had to drag the unwilling boy beside her. The silence made time flow all the more slower and finally, the brown-eyed girl had to speak up. "Minato-kun, what's wrong?" The boy remained silent as he brought a hand to his stomach, getting blood over his white shirt. Fuuka frowned as she tried to get him to talk. "I don't know what happened, but on my way here, I sensed your Personas. I don't think you were fighting against Shinjiro-san," she shook her head, "So can you please tell me why you summoned them?"

Minato glared down at himself as he refused to speak.

Fuuka stopped walking. "Minato-kun… Please don't keep this to yourself. I told you before that I want you to be able to rely on me."

"I can't rely on you for this though…" the boy finally spoke up in a meek voice.

Fuuka had never heard him speak in such a broken tone. "M-minato-kun?" She noticed he was trying to avoid eye contact. "What do you mean, Minato-kun? A-am I not reliable? I know I'm not good at fighting, but…"

"I-it's not that," Minato's voice cracked. "I-I don't want to have to rely on anyone for this…"

"Why not?" The girl shook her head as she didn't understand. "After all we've been through as a team, you should be able to come to us for help. Minato-kun, it's not fair for you to go off on your own like this. And I…" Fuuka bit her lip as she tried to come up with something that would get him to open up. "You're an important person to me, Minato-kun. I just want to help."

"I don't need your help!" Minato ended blowing up, removing his arm from around the girl's shoulder. "I don't need anyone's help!" He closed his eyes as his hands clenched into fists. Fuuka was stunned into silence as the boy pushed her away from him. He was shaking as he kept his head down. "I can do everything I have to myself…" he shakily said.

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka tried to reach for him but he flinched backwards. She frowned as the boy refused to let her near him. "Minato-kun," the girl said once again, but this time with more determination. "If that were true, you wouldn't have worked so hard to recruit me to join SEES. There are things you can't do alone."

"I can try," Minato lifted his gaze and glared at her. "You sensed it, right? When I pulled off my own Fusion Spell alone? I don't need anyone else…"

"So you really don't need me…?" Fuuka asked in disappointment.

The boy paused when he noticed the hurt in her voice. "N-no…" Minato frowned at himself. "No matter what I do, I can never have your abilities… It's more that I don't want to need you…"

"But why not?" She began shaking as she began to feel the urge to cry. "M-minato-kun… W-why? You always tell me that things will be fine because you're at my side… Why can't I do the same for you?"

"Because…" Minato stared at his bloodstained shirt. "No matter who's at my side… Things are never fine."

"I don't understand," Fuuka shook her head at him.

The boy clenched his fists as he finally revealed to her his most guarded secret. "It's because people by my side always end up dying. It's because I'm cursed with Death…" He closed his eyes to stop the tears from building up. He lifted his head towards the dark sky, but he couldn't see it as his bangs fell over his eyes. "Everywhere I go, someone always ends up dying because I pull them into the Dark Hour where they end up getting torn apart by Shadows. I always see it coming too because a Reaper warns me beforehand, but it's never enough. No matter what I do… Death will come to those around me…"

Fuuka let the information slowly sink in as she remembered all the times he would say the oddest things while fear would flicker across his usually calm face. "So when you told me in the hospital that you saw something that scared you… It was a warning of my death?" The girl shook her head at him. "Is that why you were afraid of getting closer to me back then?"

The boy nodded. "It's why I tend to avoid people as best I can. I don't want anyone coming close to me… I don't want anyone else to die because of me…" The boy took in a shaky breath. "Fuuka… Just go…"

"But…" The girl sadly watched the boy remain in place as he quietly sobbed to himself.

"I can barely take care of myself," Minato mocked himself as he stared at his bloody hands. "There's no way I can protect you or anyone else, so I might as well just brave Death alone."

 _That's not true_ , Fuuka thought to herself as she rushed up to the boy and buried herself against his chest.

He looked down at the girl in surprise before giving her a stern frown. "Fuuka… I'm being serious… Go home…"

"Not without you, Minato-kun," Fuuka cried into his shirt, not caring about the dry blood stained on it.

"Why are you being so persistent?" Minato asked.

"I don't want you to be alone!" Fuuka remembered how frightened she had been when the Lovers Shadow nearly manipulated him to give into his desires to kill himself. If she let him do as he wished right now, she was afraid she was going to lose her friend for sure this time and it wouldn't even be due to the fault of the Shadows, but rather her inability to help him. "I told you," her grip on the boy's shirt tightened, "You're an important person to me, Minato-kun!"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" the boy shook his head.

Fuuka frowned to herself as she desperately tried to come up with the words to explain how important he was to her. When an answer came to her, she took a deep breath and slowly lifted her head to look up into his scared blue eyes. "You give me courage, Minato-kun," she quietly replied. "You said before you think you don't suit your name. I think you do. Whenever you're around, I'm happy because you're there. Even when we're in a pinch, I feel like nothing bad will happen because I know you'll figure something out."

"That's just you burdening me with expectations," the boy argued as he forced himself to look away from her gentle brown eyes. "You can't honestly believe I can do everything."

"No, but there are things I know you can do," she seriously stated. "You don't like to see others in trouble. You're willing to throw yourself away for us whenever you sense danger." Fuuka shook her head. "I don't want you doing that though! I'd rather you trust us to do our share too. You can't do everything, but when you're around, we feel like we can! You inspire us, Minato-kun! You're our 'harbor of courage'."

Minato stopped struggling as he considered the meaning of his name. "Harbor… of courage…?"

"We're at your side too, Minato-kun," Fuuka continued. "And even if I'm not fighting alongside you, I'm always watching you. Every battle you've been in since I joined, I've always been watching."

"That's right," Minato smiled softly. He brought his hands up and put them around her, pulling her body closer to his. He lowered his head as he began crying. "But… if you continue to remain by my side, eventually another Reaper will come for you. I don't want that… especially since I've already gotten you so involved with the Dark Hour…"

"Minato-kun," the girl smiled as she comfortingly patted his back. "You can't blame yourself for something you had no control over. I don't know if I began experiencing the Dark Hour because of you, but you were the one who rescued me from Tartarus and got me to join SEES. You saved me from the Reaper you saw too. If you see another one, I'll be at your side. Even if you're afraid, I won't be because I trust you. Everyone else will be with us too, so please…" Fuuka wrapped her arms around his thin trembling frame. "You can rely on us to support you, Minato-kun. You can rely on _me._ "

Minato tightened his grip to reassure himself the girl was right in front of him. "Thank you, Fuuka…"

The girl slowly let go of him and pulled him along. She had finally gotten through to him and was able to get him back to the dorm safely. The gentle girl led him to his bedroom, but Minato didn't enter. Instead, he squeezed her hand.

"Fuuka…" he frowned. "Please don't go…"

"Minato-kun?" The girl stared at him oddly. "It's against the dorm's regulation though…"

Fear and sadness filled his blue eyes. "I don't want to be alone… Please? Just for tonight?" he pleaded.

"Alright…" Fuuka followed him into his room and watched as he climbed into his bed. She crawled under his covers and hugged him tightly to reassure the boy that she was there. "It's okay, Minato-kun. I'm right at your side."

"Please don't leave me…" he murmured to her. "Promise me you'll always be at my side, watching me?"

"I promise," Fuuka nodded.

The boy's breathing calmed as he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Fuuka…?" His voice was extremely soft as it whispered into her ear.

"Mmhmm?" She sensed the boy was on the border of consciousness.

"You're important to me too…" Minato mumbled.

"R-really?" The girl felt her face burn up in shy embarrassment but the boy was already asleep. She felt extremely happy to hear him say that though so smiled as she pressed herself closer to him. It wasn't long before she too fell into a comfortable sleep, lulled into it by the peaceful rhythmic beating of the blue-haired boy's heart.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Kaz crossed his arms as the other juniors of the Track Team doubled over from exhaustion. "Hey! No slacking off! Just because you guys aren't going against Mamoru doesn't mean you guys are getting off that easy! We're taking home the gold this year! A clean sweep, you hear me?"

Minato took a sip of his water bottle before getting up again. "Okay, what's next?"

One of the juniors looked up towards the blue-haired boy as if he were crazy. "How the heck does he do it?"

"Dude, he's the Hellhound! He doesn't stop until all his victims are dragged into Hell!"

"Well, it's either that or you all just suck," Kaz shook his head. "Come on. Five more laps. Minato, you're doing ten."

"No problem," his classmate nodded as he stretched his legs.

From the gym, Hamuko shook her head as the entire Volleyball Team took a break. "They're all crazy."

Yuko sighed. "You don't even know the half of it."

Rio crossed her arms. "Well, I think we need to shape up too." She turned to the rest of the girls on the team. "Let's do our best on our fellowship!"

One of the girls looked at her in confusion. "Wait, I thought it was just going to be a friendly match!"

"It is," Rio nodded. "Our goal is to have fun!"

Hamuko laughed. "Yeah. We don't have to go all out like the guys, but we need to come together if we want to enjoy the best out of Yasoinaba!"

Yuko laughed as she finally gathered enough towels for the boys. "Well, you girls sure are lucky. I'd better get back to see how the guys are doing."

"Come drop by again," Hamuko waved.

The Track Team Manager nodded as she returned to the field. She watched as the juniors were throwing up from dehydration and exhaustion. "What do you guys think you're doing?"

Kaz froze up. "Huh? We're training," he turned to the girl with a clueless expression on his face. "Is something the matter?"

"You guys need to be drinking water!"

"No time for that," Minato gasped as he completed another lap. "Four more to go!"

"Keep it up, man!" Kaz cheered.

Yuko groaned as it looked like she was going to be spending the rest of the day reviving the other runners. "Kaz, go to the storage room and fetch the other water tank!"

"Why?" the boy turned to her but tensed up when he saw the intense glare she was giving him. "R-right away!"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Hrm... Because Shinjiro isn't really available for too long, I feel like his relationship is a bit rushed... It's not like with Fuuka's where I'm actually given time to have her relationship develop naturally. I'm doing my best with him, but... Hrm... I suppose it's too late for me to jump ship now... Plus, I think what I came up with is good enough for me. My standards are extremely variable... but... eh...


	25. Countryside Reprieve

**Author's Notes:** Another short filler chapter to cover the fellowship and tournament. I wouldn't have made the setting Yasoinaba if it weren't for Yuko and Kaz. But... since a lot of Persona 4 references were added to Portable, I might as well use them. I ended up splitting the Yasoinaba part into two chapters though. That's just how it worked out...

* * *

~29 JULY 2009~

Fuuka smiled as Minato returned from Track practice. "Minato-kun! Hi, how was your day?"

"Hi, Fuuka." The boy gave her a smile of his own as he nodded in greeting. "My time is improving, but I think I can do better."

The girl looked at him with encouraging determination. "I'm sure you will do fine in your tournament, Minato-kun!"

Hamuko came in too and looked between the two of them as they stared at each other. _Seriously, if they're dating, they might as well just say so._ She smirked though as this gave her a chance to tease her older twin. "Minato, don't just stand there staring at her. At least go up to her and ask about her day."

The blue-eyed boy blinked at his younger sister as he realized she was there too. "But that's something you normally do," he blankly responded.

The brunette sighed. "You're so hopeless, nii-san." She shook her head as she smirked at the blushing brown-eyed girl. "Fuuka-chan, he's treating you well, right?"

"Hamuko-chan…" Fuuka's face became even redder. "Minato-kun and I are just very good friends."

"Uh-huh," the red-eyed girl's smirk grew wider. "In that case, mind explaining to me why you were in nii-san's room all of Saturday night?"

"What are you talking about?" Minato frowned as he thought he covered up all evidence of Fuuka's stay in his room. "I don't like this new rumor…" he said as he took a seat beside Fuuka on the couch.

"It's not a rumor if it's true," Hamuko sternly frowned at them as she sat across from them, quickly becoming serious. She crossed her arms and stared into her brother's blue eyes. "Ai-chan broke into my room Sunday morning asking why it was okay for Fuuka-chan to be in your room and not her."

 _I should have guessed,_ Minato inwardly sighed. He tried to distract the girl. "Aigis broke into your room?" He looked around the lounge. "I should find Kirijo-senpai and tell—"

"Tell her and I'll tell, too," Hamuko threatened with a smile on her face.

The boy paused. He considered his options before looking at the girl beside him. He noticed how quiet Fuuka was and immediately frowned in concern. "Fuuka, are you okay? I'm sure Hamuko's just kidding."

"Partially kidding," his twin shook her head with a sigh. She sternly glared at her older brother. "All jokes aside, I sensed what happened to Orpheus. I also know what you did with Black Frost and King Frost." She glanced over towards Fuuka. Knowing the girl wouldn't understand it if she brought up the Velvet Room, Hamuko phrased her next sentence carefully. "I checked with the compendium we use to track our Personas, so don't think you can hide something like this from me."

"That's right…" Minato frowned to himself. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "So that night I might have gotten into a little scuffle in the back alley while seeing Shinjiro-san."

"Shadows appeared?" Hamuko blinked in surprise and looked towards Fuuka. "Fuuka-chan, did you leave the dorm alone to find him?"

The teal-haired girl tensed up a little but noticed Minato was remaining calm beside her. She slowly nodded her head. "It was the Dark Hour, but Minato-kun didn't return to the dorm yet. I got worried."

"Why'd you pull of something as reckless as a Fusion Spell alone, nii-san?" Hamuko shook her head. "It's already draining enough for the both of us, but for you to do it yourself? What were you thinking?"

"The Shadows would have escaped and attacked the people in the alley if I didn't," Minato shrugged as he lied to both girls.

"And Orpheus?" Hamuko questioned him.

"I don't really know," Minato frowned. He thought about the unopened bottle of suppression pills in his room. _Shinjiro-san… Why did you give them back? Are you testing me? Or is it just a precaution?_ "That Reaper Persona that came out of Orpheus was too strong for me to handle. I don't even know how I summoned him. By the time Fuuka arrived, the Shadows and Reaper Persona were gone, but I panicked a bit."

"Hamuko-chan," Fuuka looked to the red-eyed girl in concern. "About Minato-kun's Reapers…" Hamuko stared at her with wide eyes. "You don't see them too, do you?"

"You told her," the brunette turned to her brother in surprise.

"I had to," he frowned. "I was being difficult and Shinjiro-san knocked a bit of sense into me." He placed a hand on his stomach. "Well, he sort of did. I wanted to go off on my own again, but Fuuka wouldn't let me so I tried to deter her with the Reapers. It ended up doing the opposite so we came back to the dorm."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Hamuko shook her head. She turned back towards Fuuka. "Sorry you had to deal with him like that, Fuuka-chan. But I'm grateful you did. I don't have his ability to sense Reapers, but I do see…" Hamuko searched for a simple way to explain things. "Ghosts? I guess you can call them ghosts? Or spirits… Nii-san, which is the better definition?"

"How would I know? I can't see them," Minato crossed his arms.

"Spirits, then," Hamuko decided. "Yeah, I see dead spirits. They're not as serious as nii-san's Reapers though."

Fuuka looked between the twins. "It's rather strange for the two of you to have such unique abilities. Is it due to your Personas?"

"No," Minato shook his head. "I'm sure it has to do with witnessing our parents' car accident." He frowned. "I don't know if I can tie that to the Shadows and Personas." _I'm trying to but I can't…_

Hamuko must have sensed what he was thinking because she quickly asked her friend a question. "So are you helping nii-san with his investigation, Fuuka-chan?"

"Absolutely not," Minato frowned at his younger sister. "I don't even let you get involved with the details, so why would I let Fuuka? If something important comes up, I'll share it, but for now, I really have nothing to go on. I have officially exhausted all of my low-risk resources." He looked up pensively. "Seeing how the two of you won't let me use my high-risk resources without an explanation, I'm once again suspending my investigation until appropriate."

"Low risk?" Fuuka looked towards Minato in worry. "Minato-kun, if you considered the events of Saturday as being low risk, what would you consider to be high risk?"

The blue-haired boy avoided her gaze. "Um…"

"And this is why the Hellhound needs a babysitter," Hamuko sighed. She smirked at Fuuka. "So I can trust him with you, right, Fuuka-chan?"

"Huh!?" The shy girl's face began heating up.

Minato smiled to himself as he lifted her hand up. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I'm counting on you to watch over me," his expression softened, "Fuuka."

"M-minato-kun!?" Fuuka became as red as a tomato, causing Hamuko to laugh.

The blue-haired boy smiled at the brown-eyed girl's reaction. "You're very cute, Fuuka," the boy chuckled to himself before frowning at his sister. "Just so you know, nothing happened, okay?"

"Oh, I know," Hamuko smirked. "You're way too straight-laced to do anything _that_ bold, nii-san."

Fuuka looked between the twins in confusion. "Minato-kun? What is she talking about?"

This time, it was the boy's turn to blush. "N-nothing… Never mind her, Fuuka." He once more relaxed into his seat and rested his head against her shoulder. "So… Since Hamuko didn't ask, I will. How was your day, Fuuka?"

She giggled as she also leaned against him. "It was good. Mitsuru-senpai isn't back yet but she said she'd be here by midnight." She looked out the window and frowned at the waxing moon. "Maybe we shouldn't go to Tartarus tonight."

"That's fine," Minato said. "This gives me a chance to relax after today's practice," he sighed contently as he continued resting against her.

* * *

Minato bolted up when the command room alarm began blaring. _Trouble!?_ He quickly jumped out of bed as Fuuka telepathically alerted everyone of what was happening.

 _"Sorry to wake you!"_ the girl urgently began. _"I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the 4_ _th_ _floor!"_

The blue-haired boy exited his room and knocked on the doors of the other guys as he walked down the hall. "Everybody, up!" he ordered. "We've got a problem!"

Junpei groggily followed after him and gave Fuuka a confused stare. "What's going on!?"

Mitsuru was staring at the command console as she used Fuuka's information to pinpoint its location on the map. "There's a Shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance."

Yukari frowned. "But… the moon isn't full yet…"

Fuuka shook her head. "Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow. However, it IS outside of Tartarus…" She gave Minato a concerned look.

 _So even if I did lie, it's possible for Shadows to still be prowling about,_ the blue-haired boy frowned to himself. He looked around but noticed Akihiko wasn't present. _Is he not in the dorm?_

Mitsuru frowned as she continued staring at the map. "It's near Naganaki Shrine. Akihiko went ahead since he was in the vicinity. I'm sure he can handle it alone, but let's get ready just in case."

"Gotcha!" Junpei nodded.

"Gear up, everyone!" Hamuko called out to the group as she tossed her brother his sword.

As everyone was preparing, the console began beeping. Fuuka quickly replied. "Yes, this is Fuuka."

"I'm here," Akihiko responded. "Sorry, but I think you guys better come, right away."

"What's wrong?" Mitsuru asked in concern. "Is it a powerful one!?'

"No, the Shadow's been defeated." Akihiko paused hesitantly. "In fact, it was already defeated when I got here."

"What happened?" the redhead tried to glean more information from the boxer.

"The little fella's been injured…" There was sadness in Akihiko's voice. "I wanna save him if we can." He quickly cut the transmission to treat the injured victim.

Yukari turned to the rest of the team in confusion. "Little fella? Who's he talking about?"

"Beats me," Junpei shrugged.

Mitsuru motioned for everyone to follow after her. "At any rate, let's go."

Hamuko watched as the other juniors left but noticed Minato was staring out the window. "Nii-san?"

Fuuka paused too. "Is something wrong?"

The blue-haired boy frowned. "Looks like we were right about him having the Potential, Fuuka. We'd better hurry and save him. As the Hellhound, I can't just turn my back on him."

Hamuko's eyes widened as she understood exactly what her brother meant. "It can't be… Nii-san! Wait up!"

By the time the team arrived at the shrine, Akihiko was pressing his vest into an open wound of a white dog. Fuuka's eyes widened as Minato's words also began to make sense to her. "Koro-chan! Are you okay, Koro-chan!?"

Hamuko quickly knelt down beside Akihiko, first-aid kit out and ready. "Senpai, please move aside," she ordered as she began treating the injured animal. "Don't worry, Koro-chan! We're here now!"

"You know this dog?" Mitsuru looked at the two girls in confusion.

"Yeah," Yukari nodded. "Everyone around here does… We have to help him!"

"First, we must stop the bleeding," Mitsuru instructed Hamuko.

"I'm on it!" the red-eyed girl nodded as she asked her brother for a tourniquet.

"Man…" Akihiko smiled at Koromaru. "He's one tough fighter. He defeated that Shadow all by himself."

"Wait," Junpei's eyes widened. "Does that mean… this dog's a Persona-user!?"

"That's right," Minato nodded. "Fuuka, you sensed it, right?"

The girl looked at him oddly before remembering the voice she heard all those weeks ago. "Th-that's right."

Aigis stared at Koromaru as he whimpered. "He says, 'This is a place of peace, so I protected it'."

Minato lifted his gaze and he noticed some flowers by the gate. _What a good dog._ He frowned as Hamuko had him press against the wound. _Please… Don't give up on us now, Koromaru!_

Fuuka stared at the small garden. "Those flowers… They must be for the priest who died in the accident," she frowned.

"So," Yukari smiled sadly. "He really was guarding this place…"

Junpei stared at Aigis oddly. "Uh, Aigis? Don't tell me you can translate dog language too…"

"Canines do not have their own language," the robot informed him. "However, speech is not the only means of communication."

"This fella really is a rare breed," Akihiko crossed his arms.

"Confirmed," Aigis nodded.

"Alright," Mitsuru nodded. "Let's report to the Chairman, so we can conclude this mission. As for a vet… It may be midnight, but I believe I can arrange for one."

Hamuko sighed in relief at that as she finished applying the tourniquet. "That's good to hear. Nii-san, here…" She helped her brother carefully lift the dog into his arms.

Koromaru whimpered slightly but Minato adjusted his hold to make him more comfortable. "It's okay, Koro… We're here for you."

Yukari pet the dog's head to comfort him. "Good job, boy. You're one amazing dog…"

* * *

~30 JULY 2009~

Hamuko woke up when she sensed Pharos's presence. "Welcome back, Pharos," she smiled at the young boy.

"Good evening," he responded with a smile of his own. "It's becoming quite lively around you. So, how are you and your brother getting along with the others?"

The girl smirked to herself as she thought of their friends. "Perfectly!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Pharos nodded. "It is one week until the next full moon. Are you prepared…?" He put on a knowing smile. "To be honest, I'm not too worried about you… However, you should still remain cautious," he frowned as he considered something. "Your brother has a very important decision to make then."

"What do you mean?" Hamuko frowned at the boy. "What does nii-san have to decide?"

"I don't really know it myself," Pharos shook his head. "But I have faith in him," he smiled as he began fading away. "I'll come to see you again."

"Nii-san?" The red-eyed girl stared at her pink covers, concern written all over her face. "Are you still hiding something from me?"

Downstairs, Minato felt the strange sensation that Pharos had been present. He frowned to himself as he guessed the young boy had visited Hamuko instead of him. _It must be because I have this…_ He absently played with the bloodstained pill bottle in his hand. _What do I do with it though? I can't just keep it with me… I don't like the temptation… Stay with SEES or join Strega? Why is it that I feel like both paths are a trap?_

* * *

~1 AUGUST 2009~

"Okay, men, line up!" The coach of the Track Team snapped at the boys to fall into file. "This is the last day for us to get some training in before tomorrow's tournament. That said, I want all of you to get used to the track we'll be running tomorrow. We'll be keeping time so if you can't beat your time from back home, don't expect to get any rest."

"Yes, sir!" The boys called out before jogging towards the track field behind Yasogami High School.

Hamuko watched as her brother followed them. She smiled as she took in the scenery for herself. She spotted Kanou speaking with the advisor from their host school. The lady smiled as she returned to the Volleyball Team. "What a rustic school. There's no convenience stores nearby, and no clubs either. I want all of you to be on your best behavior, okay?" She introduced the Yasogami advisor and the team.

Hamuko bowed alongside her friends. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with everyone else.

As she got up, the team across from them bowed too. "It's a pleasure for us too!"

In the gym, Rio immediately paired up with her with a smile. "Let's start off with basic drills. Might as well try going all the way to the mountains for our runs. Our region's pretty flat, so this'll be good practice."

One of the Yasogami students looked to her in surprise before whispering to the group around her. "Aren't we supposed to like, bond in a fellowship? Why's she bringing up stuff like basic drills…?"

A member of the Gekkoukan team frowned. "Who's the liar who said that this'd be a paradise with hot springs…?"

Either Rio didn't hear or care because she continued to eagerly speak with Hamuko. "Afterwards, let's do a couple sets of muscle training, and then a match."

A voice Hamuko recognized well came up from behind them. "How about… the losing side cleans up afterwards?"

Rio turned and her eyes grew. "Whoa, Yuko!? What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be watching the boys prepare for tomorrow's big competition?"

"I've got my reasons," Yuko smiled. "Anyways, wouldn't you guys take the challenge more seriously if there was something at stake?"

"That's true," Hamuko smirked, eager to spark some competition.

"It's not like you guys usually care about winning anyways, so why not?" Yuko smiled, comparing them to the Track Team.

Rio crossed her arms as she sensed a challenge. "Are you saying that's how our team is? Well, maybe you're right." She turned towards the rest of the girls. "Alright, then not only will the losing school have to clean up… let's add 10 wind sprints to the bet!"

"It's up to 10…!?" A girl from their team cried out.

The Yasogami team immediately became fired up. "We can't lose…!"

Hamuko laughed but enjoyed the match. She did her best to save the ball, but her last dive didn't make it. In the end, the Gekkoukan team wound up cleaning the gym, but it was pretty fun to work with the other girls.

Yuko sighed in exhaustion. "We're finally finished cleaning up…"

"Okay," Rio nodded in determination. "Time for the sprints, then!"

Yuko's face fell. "Me too?"

"Of course," the volleyball player nodded. "This was your idea."

"Yes, Ma'am…" Yuko sighed.

Hamuko giggled. "It'll be fine! Besides, we can check out the boys' training!"

The entire team of girls quickly completed their runs. Not wanting to lose in their training, some of the Yasogami students joined them. After everyone was done, they all watched as the Gekkoukan boys complete the cross-country route Minato devised for the Track Team.

Yuko shook her head as Minato was the last to finish. She turned towards Hamuko with a sigh. "It was Kaz's idea for the mountain run, but I'm pretty sure your brother came up with the most grueling route possible." Yuko called out to Kazushi who was supervising the training. "Kaz, how did practice go?"

"Oh, hey, Yuko," the runner nodded to her. "It wasn't so bad. Minato's first lap was hell considering he got lost halfway through, but his second and third laps went a lot smoother. I'd say he's just about ready for tomorrow."

Rio blinked at the blue-haired boy wiping himself off with a towel. "Wait, he ran it more than once!?"

"Elevation running is kind of his specialty," Hamuko informed her friends, thinking of all the long nights they usually spend in Tartarus.

The coach of the Track Team laughed as he dismissed the boys. "Now we have a good chance of beating Hayase! I'm counting on you tomorrow, Yuki!"

"Yes, sir!" Minato called out before he noticed the girls watching him. The Yasogami girls fawned over him and the SEES leader paused when he realized he was the only one left of the team on the field, meaning he was the only one attracting their attention. _Um…_

Hamuko smirked as this was the perfect opportunity to tease him. "Mina-chan!" She stood up and waved her arms. "You were great out there! Your girlfriend at home would be so proud!"

"Hamuko! Cut it out!" The boy yelled from where he was before turning around to head to the boys' locker room.

"Aw… He's already taken?" A girl sadly sighed. The crowd slowly dispersed until only Yuko, Rio, and Hamuko remained.

Rio looked to Hamuko in confusion. "I didn't know Minato-san was going out with someone."

Yuko tilted her head to the side. "You weren't just messing with him, were you, Hamuko-san?"

"Hm, I wonder," the brunette responded with a smirk.

"Well, now that Minato's back, I guess I'm done for the day," Yuko smiled. "Let's head to the inn."

One they reached the school's gate, Rio paused as she suddenly remembered something. "Did you hear they have a natural hot spring there? Wanna wash each other's backs later?"

"Sounds like fun," Hamuko smiled.

"This is so fun!" Rio laughed. "Last year's fellowship wasn't too far from our school. This place is so laid back… I love it. That shopping district seems pretty lively, though. What a peaceful town… It'd be nice to live here."

"Hamuko!" A voice made the girls stop.

Hamuko smiled as her brother caught up to them. "Nii-san! You looked great in practice."

"Next time, don't do anything unnecessary like that ever again," the boy scolded her. "I told you before to not give Fuuka any… trouble…" He paused as he noticed Rio and Yuko staring at him. "Oh… Um… Hello, Yuko, Rio-san," he kindly smiled as he gave the volleyball player a short bow. "I hope my sister hasn't been giving you trouble."

Rio stared at him with wide eyes. "You're dating Fuuka-san from Class 2-E?"

Minato shushed her as his face went red. "Don't tell Kenji!" He shook his head. "Don't tell anyone for that matter! Besides," he looked away as he put his hands in his pockets, "we're not really dating. It's more like we enjoy hanging out together… Alone…"

"That's what dating is, nii-san," Hamuko giggled.

"No, I get it," Rio nodded, crossing her arms. "It's the same with Kenji."

Yuko smiled. "I won't tell Kaz or anyone else either. Besides, the dunce probably wouldn't even get it."

"See?" Minato raised an eyebrow at his sister. "They're being considerate about it." He paused when he noticed a girl staring at them. "Um… Can we help you?"

The girl wore a black school uniform and had short black hair. She wore a white hair band and was staring at Minato oddly. "Um…"

Minato blinked at her and noticed an extremely faint Reaper cloud. _Well, it's more like mist than a cloud. She doesn't seem to have the Potential, but she's got the faintest traces of a Persona on her. It feels like… the Priestess? Oh, just like Fuuka's…_ He cleared his throat before he'd become distracted. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Are you the club members from Gekkoukan High School?" The girl looked towards Rio and Hamuko. "The Amagi Inn sent me to get you."

"Huh?" Rio tilted her head to the side before realizing the name of the inn they were told to go to. "Oh, th-thank you very much." She looked at the girl oddly. "Um… You don't work there, do you?"

"No, I'm just helping out," the girl softly smiled. "I'm Yukiko Amagi, the daughter of the hostess at the Amagi Inn."

Hamuko picked up something strange in the young girl's tone and looked to her brother. She noticed that he was also slightly frowning. The boy put his hands in his pockets as he blinked at Yukiko. _How interesting… It's not quite a Persona related to Death… but more of one related to Truth… The courage to face one's self… That'll come to her one day…_

Yuko looked at Yukiko in admiration. "The hostess's daughter… So does that make you a junior hostess? Cool!" She paused as she studied the girl a bit more. "Oh, are you in high school?"

"No…" Yukiko shook her head. "I'm still in middle school."

"You're in middle school and you're already helping with the family business…? Man, talk about responsible…" Yuko tilted her head to the side. "So are you going to inherit the business?"

"That…" Yukiko looked away from them. "I don't know yet."

Minato frowned in understanding. "I know the feeling," he said, mostly to himself.

Rio shook her head at Yuko. "Hey, don't stick your nose in other people's business!"

"Yes, Ma'am…" Yuko gave the young girl an apologetic smile. "Sorry. People are always telling me I'm nosy…"

"Oh, that's all right…" Yukiko reassured her. "It's fun chatting with people from outside town…"

Hamuko frowned at her brother. _She's like a trapped bird, nii-san…_

He nodded to his younger sister but said nothing in response. A voice behind him caught his attention though. "Ah, Yuki-chan!"

Thinking someone was addressing him, he turned. "Um… Yuki-chan?"

Yukiko looked up too. "Oh, Kasai-san."

Kasai looked at the girl urgently. "Did you take the car keys?"

"Car keys…?" Yukiko reached into her pocket. "Why would I… Huh? What's this?" She handed them to the lady. "I-I'm sorry. I must've mistaken them for my house keys…"

"No worries. Well, I'm heading out to get some groceries."

"Oh, do you want me to go instead?" Yukiko asked her.

"N-no, that's fine!" The lady in the kimono shook her head. "No need to send you on that kind of errand, Yuki-chan! Plus, they'd be too heavy for you… By the way, Chie-chan stopped by. She said she needed help with her homework."

"Oh, okay," Yukiko smiled.

Kasai turned to the Gekkoukan students in surprise. "Oh, are you all guests? Forgive me for rambling on like that," she bowed to them. "I'm a waitress at the Amagi Inn. I hope you enjoy your stay tonight." The lady left with a smile.

"I'm sorry about the wait," Yukiko bowed to them. "Shall we go? This way please."

Minato and Hamuko shot each other a glance. The older twin sighed as he nodded for her to speak with the young girl. Hamuko, excited for the chance to speak with Yukiko, quickly struck up conversation. Minato silently watched from behind as he, Yuko, and Rio had their own conversation about tomorrow's events.

* * *

Yuko collapsed onto a futon with a relaxed sigh. "So huge… So luxurious… Is it really okay for people like us to stay here? Won't we get a scolding?"

"From who?" Hamuko smirked.

"Huh? Um… The government?"

"What're you talking about…?" Rio asked with a smirk before laying out her own futon. She frowned at Yuko when she realized something. "And hey, this isn't your room, Yuko."

"Yeah, about that!" Yuko quickly sat up. "You gotta hear this! There was some mistake, and I got stuck in the same room as Kaz!"

"Kaz…" Rio paused. "You mean Kazushi? Wait, he's here too?" She knit her eyebrows as she thought the runner was injured. "Huh? Isn't Kazushi supposed to sit out during this year's tournament?"

"I was supposed to stay behind… to sort of look after him at home, but since the tournament was here anyways, we're trying a hot-springs cure! I'm gonna get the most out of this trip by clearing up my skin, too!"

"Huh…" Rio thought it made sense. "Wait. Did you say you were in the same room? Kazushi… is a guy, right?"

"He's a big ol' girl on the inside," Yuko smirked, "but on the outside, yeah, he's a guy. Ms. Kanou assigned the rooms, right? What the hell was she thinking?"

"It was probably on purpose," Hamuko laughed.

"Ugh, I can just see her raving about summer romances and all that crap!" Yuko groaned. "Kaz is just a big kid to me…"

"By the way," Rio frowned, "is he okay?"

"No, it's pretty bad," Yuko sadly sighed. "That's why we're relying on the hot-springs cure…" She shook her head in frustration. "Ugh, and that idiot didn't say anything about it for the longest time. He even roped Minato into hiding it from me and the team. Thanks to that, it's gotten even worse! He's such an idiot! A total dumbass! He got me so worried!"

"Sounds like you two are perfect for each other," Rio smirked.

"What?" Yuko's face fell. "You gotta be jok—Wait, what time is it?" Yuko glanced around for a clock. "Oops, it's time for Kaz's medication." She quickly got up. "Well, see you later!"

Rio crossed her arms and smirked to Hamuko. "She can say whatever she wants, but she's taking pretty good care of him. She's kinda like…" Rio tried to come up with a good description for their friend, "a mom. Though I know she'd hate it if I told her so."

"I don't know why she didn't leave it to Minato," Hamuko shrugged. "I'm pretty sure Kaz would be rooming with him anyways." The red-eyed girl glanced at the clock. "Oh, it's almost our turn to be in the bath! Let's get going!"

* * *

Minato felt himself getting dizzy from being in the bath for too long. "Hey, I'm going to go now, Kaz. I'll see you back in the room."

"Yeah, okay, man," Kaz smirked to him. "I'll be out in a little bit. Yuko says I need to dip my knee in for as long as possible."

"You'll recover fine," the blue-haired boy reassured him as he stood up. He kept a hand on the towel around his waist as he waved to the other boys on the team. Apparently, one lap of Minato's death march had left them all sore. The blue-eyed boy shrugged it off though as he dried himself off and got dressed in a yukata. _Nice and comfy,_ he thought to himself.

He paused as he noticed Yukiko sitting with a girl in the lobby. The two looked busy working on an assignment but the stumped look on their faces made the high school boy wonder what was wrong. As he approached them, Yukiko looked up. "Oh, Yuki-san. You finished earlier than I expected. Did you not enjoy the bath?"

"I did," Minato nodded. "I'm just sensitive to hot springs. The better the water, the less I can spend time in the bath, I'm afraid," the boy wryly smiled. "That said, the Amagi Inn has a very relaxing bath."

The girl beside Yukiko brightly smiled. "It is the pride of Inaba, after all. Right, Yukiko?"

"Chie…" Yukiko looked away, a blush on her face. She sat up straight as she realized she was being rude. "Oh, that's right. Um… Yuki-san, this is my best friend, Chie Satonaka."

Chie smiled up at the older boy. "H-hi. I'm Chie. Yukiko told me you're here for the Track Tournament tomorrow."

"That's right," Minato nodded, extending a hand to the middle school student. "Minato Yuki. I'm a junior from Gekkoukan High School."

"Wow," the girl's eyes widened as she shook his head. "That fancy private school by the coast?"

"Well, I suppose it is fancy," the boy lightly laughed as he felt a strange sensation in the back of his mind when Chie shook his head. _This girl is the same… The hints of a Persona… The Chariot?_ "Well, Gekkoukan is great, but I like the atmosphere of Yasogami High. It has a rather comforting vibe to it."

"We'll be attending Yasogami next year," Yukiko smiled at him.

"Really?" Minato crossed his arms. "Well, I hope you look forward to it. You meet a lot of people in high school. Some of those you meet might become very important friends to you," he said, thinking of all of SEES. "Take it from me, you really do find your true self in high school. So long as you have good friends beside you, you'll never be lost or alone."

"That's kind of a strange thing to say," Chie looked at the blue-haired boy oddly. "But I think I see what you mean. What do you think, Yukiko?"

"Um… I don't quite get it," the hostess-in-training frowned.

Minato chuckled at the two girls. "Never mind what I'm saying then. I'm probably just rambling anyways. It's just that I sensed something about you two that made me think." He looked up towards the clock behind the reception desk. "Well, I should probably retire for the night. Thank you for your time," he bowed. He pointed at the homework problem they had been stuck on. "By the way, the answer is that Orpheus, master of strings, is representative of human folly and sacrifice. He doubted his wife's, Eurydice's, return so lost her forever, but he committed himself to her, resulting in his death." Minato gave the two girls a wistful smile. "It's a rather difficult question, but the answer is clear if you understand Orpheus's character."

"Oh, wow…" Chie quickly jotted it down and opened her textbook for the mythological lyrist's story. "It makes sense. Thanks a lot!"

"Yes, thank you very much," Yukiko bowed her head.

"No, it's fine," Minato smiled at them. "Just consider it thanks for clearing something up for me." He shook his head as he turned towards the hall. "Good night." The older boy chuckled to himself as he whispered under his breath. "Orpheus… Master of Strings… I am thou… Thou art I… From the sea of my soul, you emerged before me. I think I understand you better now, my dear Orpheus."

Yukiko's eyes widened as she caught the blue-haired boy's words. "I am thou…" she absently repeated.

"Yukiko?" Chie frowned at her friend. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no, it's nothing." The girl returned to their homework. "He was very interesting, wasn't he, Chie?" She smiled.

* * *

Yuko frowned as the girls' conversation lulled a bit. "Hey, isn't there something more appropriate to talk about at times like these?"

"What," Hamuko smirked. "Like boyfriends?"

"Yep, exactly!" Yuko nodded. "Well… I'd be confessing my love if there was anyone I really liked. I'd prefer a thin guy, but he'd have to be athletic… And there's no one at our school who fits that description."

"Minato does," Hamuko thought.

"But he's got a brotherly vibe to him," Yuko pointed out. "I'm actually surprised he's going out with Fuuka-san."

"Then what about Kazushi?" Rio suggested with a smirk.

"No way," Yuko shook her head. "Uhh, but I do have this feeling… This is just an if, okay? If Kaz and me don't end up finding someone for a long time… I get this feeling I might end up getting married to him…" She put her hands over her face. "Ack, what should I do!?"

"What kind of premonition is that…?" Rio turned to their friend.

"I mean, he's completely useless without me," Yuko sighed. "There's no way he'll even remember where he keeps his underwear. Imagine him getting old all alone and eating nasty convenience store food every day! It's just so sad!"

"So marry him," Hamuko smirked.

"Nooo!" Yuko let out a frustrated groan. "I've gotta fight it!" She turned to Hamuko. "So, what about you, Hamuko-san? You've got someone you like, right?"

"Not yet," Hamuko frowned as she thought of Shinjiro.

"So, you're in the same boat as us," Yuko sighed. "Does that mean the guys at our school just don't meet our standards?"

"You two seem like you're having fun…" Rio frowned. "I really don't get that sort of thing…" She noticed Hamuko raising an eyebrow at her. The volleyball player blushed as she began thinking about Kenji.

"Ugh," Yuko shook her head. "I don't want to think any more about a future with Kaz. How about we tell some ghost stories?"

"Hmm," Rio considered it for a moment. "That's fine with me, but I don't scare easily. I do know a lot of stories, though."

"Let's hear 'em…" Yuko straightened up. "Although the way you say that is already giving me goosebumps. O-one sec!" She quickly left and dragged Kaz back with her.

"Wh-what do you want?" he groaned. "I was gonna go to sleep… Why not get Minato?"

"Just shut it!" Yuko glared at him. "He's got the tournament tomorrow." She turned back to the girls. "Hey guys, I brought him!"

"Hey, this is a girl's room," Kaz frowned. "I'm not allowed to be here!"

"It's okay," Yuko reassured him. "Just stay here, all right?" She looked back to Rio. "Okay, Rio. Do your worst."

"Is he your good luck charm?" Rio smirked.

"N-no!" Yuko blushed. "I just… wanted him here."

"A future with Kaz, eh?" Hamuko teased. Kaz looked at her in confusion.

"No no, I never said that!" Yuko shook her head. "You're supposed to tell scary stories with four people! That's the rules! C'mon… Hurry up and let's go in order!"

"Alright, I'll go first," Rio nodded. "This story's about the tunnel we passed through today…"

All of a sudden the lights went out, causing Yuko to scream. "A blackout!?"

Kaz let out a strangled yelp. "Ack, don't choke me! Get off! You're stepping on my foot, too!"

The lights suddenly came back on and Yuko sighed in relief. She let go of Kaz and looked around. "The lights are back… Wh-where's the phone!?" She quickly dialed a number. "Hello, front desk? Um, about the blackout just now… There…" Her face slightly fell. "Was no blackout?" She nodded as she finished the call. "Oh, thanks…" She hung up the phone and frowned to the girls. "What're we gonna do!? That was a real supernatural phenomenon…"

"Lights always turn on and off, though," Kaz rolled his eyes.

"Are you an idiot!?" Yuko turned to him. "The fact that they went out without anyone touching them mean…!" She shook her head. "Ughhh, let's just stop talking about it! I'm pretending that never happened!"

Hamuko looked down and noticed the remote for the lights were near her. _Oh… Whoops… I'll just keep that a secret for now…_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Am I supposed to turn here?" Minato frowned to himself as he jogged through the unfamiliar streets of the town. He slowed down when he had no idea where to go next but after a few more minutes of wandering around, he spotted a few runners from his team ahead of him. "Oh, hey, there they are."

He tried to catch up to them but noticed they were caught in some sort of trouble. He covered the sun's glare that was coming down on him and frowned when he saw tall boy wearing a black tank top glowering at the runners. "Hey, keep it quiet! How am I supposed to work with all the noise?"

"Hey, we've got an important competition tomorrow and we're just trying to raise our energy!" A boy glared at the local. He flinched when the younger boy grabbed him.

"Well, raise your energy somewhere else! You're botherin' my ma!"

"Let him go," Minato sternly said when he was close enough. "I'll take care of it."

The blonde released the runner and studied the blue-haired boy. "What? They your friends or somethin'?"

"They're my responsibility," the junior tilted his head to the side.

"Oh shit…" One of the boys on the ground began shaking. "He's got that look again."

The blonde paused when he noticed the guys he just beat up tremble in fear. _What the…?_

"I-I thought you said the Hellhound was ahead of us!?" A brunet gulped.

"Never mind that," Minato sheepishly grumbled. "Were you guys disturbing the locals?"

"We weren't!" A boy shook his head. "W-we were training!"

"Like hell you were," the blonde crossed his arms. "With all the hollerin' you guys were doin', I don't think so."

Minato smiled. "I see." He turned his back on the team. "I'll give you all ten minutes to get as far as you can. If I out lap any of you, you're taking another round of Yasoinaba with me."

They stiffened as they quickly got back up. "We're sorry! We're going!"

"Dammit, how are we gonna outrun the Hellhound!?"

The middle school boy looked at the blue-haired boy with wide eyes. "Whoa…"

"Sorry about them. It looks like practice is killing them today," Minato smiled. "Although, I should really have a word with your mother for assaulting them."

"N-no… You don't have to," the boy shook his head.

"Kanji? Is someone at the door?" A lady came out of the textile shop. "Oh, I'm sorry, young man. Is my son bothering you?"

"Not at all," Minato smiled. "I heard a few of my team members were causing trouble, so I decided to defuse the situation before it escalated."

Kanji knit his brows together. "Uh…"

"Oh… That's very responsible of you. I was worried Kanji would get into trouble with them. As a thank you, would you like a drink?"

"I don't mind," Minato smiled as he bowed to the kind woman. He might as well come in since he had time to kill. If he stayed longer than the allotted ten minutes, then good for his team. "Thank you very much, ma'am."

"Ma! You don't need to…" Kanji let it go when the blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side. A shiver went down the blonde's back. _What's with that blank look? It's actually kinda… scary…_

The older boy slowly sipped his tea as the lady returned to the back of the store. Minato silently stared at Kanji as he noticed a strange wisp surround the boy. _That's not a Reaper cloud, is it?_ Minato frowned. _A peaceful town like this… Hm…_

It suddenly disappeared when Kanji noticed the boy's frown. "What you lookin' at, huh, punk?"

"You don't have to act tough," Minato simply said, lifting his cup to his lips. "And I was just looking at you. You've got a problem with that?"

"Y-yeah," Kanji glared at him. "You can look somewhere else."

"And if I don't?" The older boy tilted his head again.

"I'll… Uh…" The blonde didn't really know.

"I'm a guest of your home," Minato pointed out. "I've done nothing wrong." He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"So you really gonna wait here 'til the ten minutes are over?" Kanji asked, hoping the boy would leave soon.

"I tend to honor my word, especially if they're threats," Minato chuckled to himself. "I might be known as the Hellhound where I'm from, but I'm very fair to my so-called victims." He paused when he considered something. "You're pretty tall for a middle school student. Are you a third year?"

"Second," Kanji turned away, his face slightly red.

"Oh? I have a younger sister who's the same age as you then," Minato nodded. "Nao-kun." The older brother smiled as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. "This is her, right here." He pointed to the most recent photo he had of her.

Kanji paused when he saw the picture of the girl with layered blue hair that nearly went to her waist. _She's pretty cute…_ "Uh…" He glanced back up at the boy. "She looks a lot like you," Kanji ended up saying.

Minato blinked at the boy. "Yeah, she does," the boy smiled as he finished his tea. "Well, this was fun. I'd better get back to training too." The boy stood, lifting the cup.

"Here, I'll take that," Kanji said as he brought the cup to the sink.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Minato bowed to the younger boy.

"N-nah… You should be thanking my ma…" The blonde blushed.

"Such a considerate son," the blue-haired boy smirked. "Well, give her my thanks then."

"S-sure," Kanji nodded as Minato exited the store. He watched the blue-haired boy stretch his legs before jogging after the rest of his team. _W-wow… He was pretty cool… And his sister… Uh…_ Kanji felt his face go red. "Well, it ain't like I'm ever gonna meet her…" he huffed as he went back to tending the store.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I had to put Kanji in somewhere. He's pretty cool. I imagine younger Naoto to have longer hair thanks to Hamuko's influence. Then she eventually gets into the family business and decides to cut her own hair to be taken more seriously as a detective. That and she wants to be closer to Minato... You know, it's too bad Hamuko isn't playable in Persona Q... I would have liked to have her interact with the Investigation Team... Pretty sure she'd make things even more hectic, but that'd be fun.


	26. Choosing the Just Path

**Author's Notes:** Something I didn't mean for to happen is that apparently, the operations are spaced out every 4 chapters. Funny how that turned out... Oh well.

* * *

~2 AUGUST 2009~

"We pledge… to complete fairly and uphold the ideals of good sportsmanship!" The voices of every competitor rang throughout the field.

Minato stretched his legs and watched the various events pass. Soon, it was going to be his turn. Kaz turned to the blue-haired boy beside him. "Hey, you're almost up, Minato! You ready to do this!?"

The SEES leader felt his stomach flip a little in anticipation. "I'm a little nervous," he admitted.

"Yeah," Kaz nodded. "I thought you might be. But don't worry, man! Everyone's like that in the beginning. Let me give you some advice, since this is your first time…" He smiled widely and let out a roar, making Minato jump a bit. "Just give it everything you've got! It takes guts to win! Don't give in to fear!"

"Kaz, leave him alone!" Yuko sighed as she gave Minato a smile. "Just leave the cheering to me! Oh, yeah…" She reached into her sports bag and took out a bottle. "Here, take this, Minato-kun. It's my Special Drink. If you use it, you won't be tired anymore."

"Ugh, that nasty stuff you make me drink?" Kaz made a face. "Dude, I don't think you should take it. It tastes awful."

Yuko glared at him. "But it works!"

Minato didn't even get a chance to check was in the drink when the coach called for him. "Well, thanks anyways, Yuko."

"Alright, dude!" Kaz cheered him on. "Go for it!"

Minato prepared himself on the starting line. He looked to his side and noticed the popular tan runner everyone was going on about. _So that's Mamoru Hayase. He looks fast…_ Minato focused his blue eyes on the track in front of him. _But I'll be faster…_ The boy watched for the smoke from the starting gun and quickly took off.

Yuko squealed as Minato was in the lead. "Wow, he's good! Keep it up, Minato!"

"Whoa! Dude!" Kaz smirked triumphantly as his friend kept up his lead.

The race ended and Minato quickly leaned over, his hands on his knees. He wore a satisfied smirk as he returned to his two friends. "So? What'd you think?" he asked as he tried to regain his breath.

"Minato! You did it!" Yuko was excited for him.

"You did great, dude!" Kaz smirked with his arms crossed. "Looks like all your hard work paid off."

"But…" Yuko looked over towards the track. "It's too bad HE won again."

Kaz's eyes widened as even he was impressed. "They say Hayase annihilates his opponents. I thought people were just exaggerating, but man, he's insane! We could sure use someone like him on our team…" The injured runner let out a frustrated yell. "Next time, we won't lose!"

Minato took a swig of Yuko's vegetable juice and noticed the tan runner coming towards them. Yuko tapped on Minato's arm. "Hey, isn't that him?"

Mamoru smiled at Minato. "Hey, what's up? Dude… you were good."

"I've been practicing," Minato nodded.

"Yeah, I can tell. You put up a good fight." Mamoru crossed his arms and looked the boy over. "Hey, I was thinking… Maybe we could hang out sometimes…"

Minato gave him a curious frown. "Why?"

"You still need to work on your technique, but if you keep at it, you could be really great," Mamoru's smirk widened. "I think you might help me push me to test my limits. That's why." He turned around as his own team was calling for him. "I usually grab a bite to eat at the strip mall in Iwatodai after school… Stop by sometime if you feel like it. My name's Mamoru… Nice to meet you."

"Minato," the blue-haired boy nodded. "I guess we'll see each other soon then."

"See ya around," he said as he left.

"Wow, Minato!" Yuko's eyes widened. "He must really be impressed with you!"

"Hmph!" Kaz crossed his arms. "If you see him again… tell him this… Next time, I'll kick his ass!"

"Calm down, Kaz," Yuko sighed. "Good job today, Minato!"

"Let's get outta here," Kaz smirked as he pointed to the locker rooms. "Think we have time for one last dip in the bath, Minato?"

"I hope so," the blue-haired boy shrugged. "That race was a lot harder than I thought."

* * *

"Well," Rio addressed both teams. "Thanks a bunch for all your help. We'll remember what we learned here and keep trying our hardest." She led the Gekkoukan team in their bow.

"Thank you very much!"

The Yasoinaba students bowed back. "Have a safe trip back."

From the side, Kaz smirked. "Guess we should go back too…" He noticed Yuko was being distracted by something. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah…" Yuko yawned. "I just didn't get any sleep… I saw… people's faces in the walls…"

"You're just exaggerating…" Kaz shrugged. "Want me to give you a piggyback ride if you're not feelin' well?"

"You moron!" Yuko scolded him. "Your leg's hurt! What're you talking about!? I'd rather give you a piggyback ride!"

Kaz laughed at that. "See? You're exaggerating again."

Minato smirked at the two as he lifted his sister's luggage. "Well, this was a fun trip," he said, bowing to Yukiko who was seeing them off. "Thank you for your hospitality, Amagi-san."

"Please come again," Yukiko bowed back.

Yuko smiled at her. "Oh, thanks for taking the time to come see us off."

Kaz pointed to his friend. "She said she saw people's faces showing up in the inn's walls."

"Ack, you idiot!" Yuko's face went red.

"Oh, you saw them too?" Yukiko paused. "There's always a few at old inns, so there's no need to worry."

"Always… a few?" Yuko's face went pale.

Yukiko chuckled. "I'm just joking."

Yuko shook her head. "That was definitely not a joke…"

Rio tugged on the girl's sleeve. "C'mon, let's go home."

"Well, then I must part here," Yukiko smiled at them as she waved. "Please have a safe trip back."

"Don't tell me…" Yuko shook her head. "She's not a ghost herself, is she!? I mean, she was real cute… Maybe she was the one!"

"Really cute girls are ghosts?" Kaz pondered this for a moment. "That's all the proof I need to know you're human."

"What?" Yuko glared at him. "Say that again to my face!"

"Hey," the boy jumped back a bit. "Stop tryin' to step on my foot!" He stopped as he remembered something. He turned towards Minato. "Oh, that reminds me. I was looking around the tournament a moment ago. I couldn't find Niimura from San High so he must have been a no-show. I had coach look into it and apparently they couldn't find him at his house, either."

"Does… that mean he's missing!?" Yuko asked in alarm. "Did he run away from home? Maybe he was freaked out about the competition?" She paused for a moment. "Or, wait… It is because of that Apathy Syndrome thing…?" Hamuko and Minato shared a frown.

"No idea…" Kaz shook his head. "Hopefully he shows up soon. He was a great guy…"

"Yeah…" Yuko said. She shook her head to clear the thoughts. "A-anyways, let's go home! C'mon, let's do our clap and put this to bed!"

"Why're you the one leading the clap…?" Kaz frowned at her.

Minato chuckled as he followed them to the train station. He paused when he noticed Hamuko was trailing behind. "Hamuko? It's time to go."

"Yeah," she nodded as she reached his side.

"Worried about the next operation?" Her brother asked in concern. The red-eyed girl nodded. "Don't worry," he smiled. "We'll be fine. It's the same with Koromaru. He'll be fine too."

Hamuko noticed there was something different about her brother. _He seems more confident…_ She smiled to herself as she guessed what brought about this change. _Well, I should be more confident too with Fuuka-chan watching out for us._

* * *

~6 AUGUST 2009~

"Well," Ikutsuki smiled as the team gathered. "It's a full moon once again."

"Any luck, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked Fuuka.

Fuuka nodded. "Yes, I've located it… and this time, it's not just an ordinary one."

"Now, that's more like it," Akihiko smirked.

"It's by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai." Fuuka frowned as she sensed something strange. "But, there is one thing that's strange… It seems like it's underground… almost 10 meters."

Minato raised his eyebrows. "Underground?"

"It must be in some kind of basement…" Yukari thought.

Aigis shook her head. "According to my records, there is no structure in the area that matches those criteria. However, in the past there was an underground facility that was used by the military."

"The military?" Yukari's eyes widened. "Is that true?"

Ikustuki considered it. "Well, the architectural and geographical data for the area were uploaded into her memory bank. Then again, the information hasn't been updated in a decade."

"That is correct," Aigis nodded.

"Uh," Junpei's eye brows furrowed. "Wouldn't that be a good idea?"

"So," Akihiko turned to Fuuka. "How should we interpret this?"

"There's no way of knowing without actually going there…" Fuuka frowned.

"It seems war's scars may be deeper than we think…" Mitsuru said with arms crossed. "The situation is still unclear at this time. Therefore, we will wait until we arrive to determine who should be deployed."

"Agreed," Akihiko nodded.

"Understood," Aigis responded.

Minato lifted his blade and rested it over his shoulder. "Leave it to me," he calmly stated, ignoring the feeling of the pill bottle pressed against him.

Mitsuru chuckled at the boy. "Dependable as ever." She nodded to the team. "Then, let's go."

It took them a while to find the location. Using Aigis's sensor and Fuuka's guidance, they located an entrance into an underground facility. Minato was the first down to check for danger. "It's clear," he called out. "Come down slowly though." He turned around and helped everyone down. He paused as Fuuka had trouble getting into the bunker.

She gave him a grateful smile before looking around. "The target should be around here…"

Minato suddenly pulled her behind him as he saw two Reapers appear. _Them again…_ He held his sword out at the entrance they just came in from.

"Well done…" a mysterious voice said.

Fuuka shook her head. "Who are these guys!? Lucia didn't sense a thing 'til now!" She looked at Minato in confusion and her eyes widened as she realized how the boy noticed them. _Do they have Reapers?_

The solemn glare on the blue-haired boy's face gave her an answer as the two figures revealed themselves before him. The shirtless young man smiled at the entire team. "This is the first time we've met in person. My name is Takaya. This is Jin." He cast his gaze over to Minato and smiled. "We are known to some as Strega. We've been keeping an eye on you… From what we hear, you've undertaken a 'righteous' battle to save the world. But, we've come here tonight to put an end to that dream."

Akihiko glared at them. "What!?"

"You've gained new allies," Takaya looked towards Aigis, "yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always…"

Hamuko stood closer to her brother as she noticed how tense he was. "Why are you doing this?"

Jin glared at her. "Simple… If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power. And we can't let that happen, now can we?" His eyes went back to Minato as he studied the leader's face.

"Power…?" Mitsuru frowned. "Don't tell me you're Persona-users as well!"

"Why don't you use that pretty little head of yours for a change?" Takaya frowned at the senior. He pointed to Minato. "He's already figured it out… Only a select few wield the power of a Persona… And the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore… just like the Tower of Demise…"

Yukari shook her head. "THAT's your reason!? Are you crazy!?" She tightened her grip on her bow. "There's no telling what will happen if we don't do something about the Shadows!"

"What difference does it make…?" Takaya shrugged, studying Minato's calm face. "There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from human folly." Minato's eyes narrowed. "No one can predict the future, anyway. But, that is beside the point…" His golden eyes gleamed as his smile grew bigger, hoping Minato would understand what he was getting at. "Surely you will acknowledge the sense of significance the Dark Hour has given you."

Disturbed by how much attention he was giving her brother, Hamuko shook her head. "Not at all!" Minato lowered his head in agreement with her.

"Is it not so?" Takaya tilted his head. "How about the rest of you…?" He looked at the rest of the team. "Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives?"

Junpei faltered a bit. "Huh?"

Beside him, Yukari glared at Takaya. "You think I like this!?"

Akihiko's gaze lowered as he too faltered. Fuuka stared at Minato's back and frowned. "I don't enjoy this one single bit," she softly said.

Minato slightly turned his head back towards her. _Fuuka…_

Jin looked at them all with disgust. "You've each got your own reason for fighting. 'Justice' is only an excuse… And that makes you all hypocrites! So I say, to hell with you!"

"We never said we were fighting for justice," Minato coolly said.

"So you finally speak, Minato Yuki," Takaya smirked.

The entire team looked to the blue-haired boy in surprise. Out of them all, Hamuko felt a bit betrayed as she stared at her brother in worry. "Nii-san?"

The SEES leader ignored her as he took a step towards Strega. Minato calmly stared back towards Takaya as the shirtless boy scanned his eyes. Takaya shook his head. "Your eyes have changed from the last time. Have you come to a decision?"

"Yeah," Minato reached into his pocket and took out the pill bottle. "You can take this back. I don't need it."

Takaya quickly caught the bottle and frowned. "You truly are a fool…" he said with great disappointment.

"You don't even know the truth behind that statement," Minato smirked back. His hand fiddled with his Evoker.

"Don't waste your time with him, Takaya," Jin said.

Takaya backed away as he glared at Minato. "It really is a shame that our opinions differ on this. You would have been a remarkable addition…"

Minato watched them carefully before noticing something strange about the ground. "Hey, wait!" He charged forward as a loud impact echoed through the room.

Akihiko looked around. "Wha…!?"

Minato watched as the partition to the underground facility was beginning to close. He tried to keep it open, but Jin smirked at him. "Have fun in there."

Akihiko hurried to their leader's side and banged a fist against the metal partition. "Dammit… They locked us in!"

"We will be alright," Aigis said. "Rather than wasting our energy, I suggest we deal with the Shadow first."

Yukari nodded. "You're right. If we lose our cool, then they win."

Minato reluctantly backed away from the partition. "Sorry, everyone. I should have been aware of a trap."

"You have a lot of explaining to do later, Minato Yuki," Hamuko scolded him, her hands on her waist.

"Yeah," the boy nodded before turning to their navigator. "But what's the situation right now, Fuuka? Is the Shadow here?"

The teal-haired girl nodded to him. "The Shadow's moving! I think it's noticed us!"

"Alright," Mitsuru gathered the team. "Let's concentrate on our original goal. We can look for a way out after we've won." She sternly glanced at Minato who only nodded in response. "Everyone, prepare for battle."

Minato pointed to Aigis. "We're scouting ahead. I want to know what kind of enemy we're dealing with here."

"Understood," Aigis followed him down the tunnel. Minato studied the ground for a while before noticing fresh tread marks. Aigis noticed him kneeling so scanned the ground. "These seem to belong to a military vehicle," she informed him.

"Then I know exactly who to bring," Minato nodded. He called out towards the entrance. "Hamuko, Kirijo-senpai! You're coming along. Everyone else, protect Fuuka! Also, if you can, look for a way to get the partition opened!"

"Roger!" Akihiko called back. He crossed his arms at Yukari and Junpei. "You heard him. Let's get started."

Minato waited for the two girls to catch up before moving onto the next area. Fuuka relayed to him where the Shadow was. _"I sense the target two blocks ahead of you! It's moving slowly downward. Chase after it!"_

"On it!" Minato replied as he carefully kept his footing on the slope. He nearly slipped but was glad when Hamuko grabbed his arm. "Thanks, Hamuko."

"We're so used to climbing up that downhill slopes are a problem," the red-eyed girl smirked.

"No matter, we must continue our pursuit," Mitsuru nodded.

 _"Whoa…_ _This place seems to have been some kind of weapons depot. I've never seen so many weapons before… All designed to kill… But, I guess that's the reality of war… It's hard to believe that a time like that actually existed…"_

"Maybe after we're done, I can pull a few of these and add them onto Aigis," Minato quipped. "Would that be fine, Aigis?"

"If it would improve my functionality, then I approve, Minato-san," Aigis nodded.

"Sweet, I get to work on an actual robot!" Minato jumped forward and slid down the slope a little.

 _"The target is gaining speed! It's continuing down the tunnel. Chase after it!"_

Minato's eyes widened. "Everyone, let's hurry!"

They continued onward for a little while longer before Fuuka frowned. _"The target has stopped! It's waiting in the next area! Be careful!"_

Minato checked to see if his team was okay. "Let's go!" He pointed his sword out and rushed forward to see a tank-like Shadow. "Fuuka, start scanning! It looks pretty dangerous!"

 _"This explains the tread marks… It's using the tank as armor!"_

As Minato studied the large Shadow, he scowled. He turned to Aigis after coming up with a quick plan. "Take the first shots, Aigis. Senpai, back her up with magic. Hamuko, let's do our stuff!"

"Right!" Hamuko nodded as she took off to the right. Her brother took off to the left and they flanked the large tank. Aigis leapt into the air and fired a hail of bullets to get its attention. As she landed, Penthesilea cast an ice spell. Hamuko and Minato quickly followed up with the Fusion Spell King and I.

The Shadow reared onto its tire treads. It then quickly drove in a wide circle, throwing the team back. Minato was the closest to the tank and Aigis quickly pulled him out of the way, taking the hit herself.

"Aigis!" Minato swapped his Persona. "Yatagarasu!"

Aigis was quickly repaired and she returned to the rest of the team. "It seems as though it can raise its power," the robot observed.

"So how's the scan coming along, Fuuka?" Minato frowned as the team scattered to avoid the shot coming from the tank's turret.

 _"Its Arcana is Justice…"_ Fuuka became confused as she was getting mixed signals. _"Wait, it's Chariot? What the—Why am I sensing two entities…? It doesn't make sense!"_

"Is there two of them?" Minato asked.

Mitsuru fired her Evoker again and Penthesilea succeeded in freezing the Shadow. "Yuki! You might be right!"

Minato looked up and saw the Shadow shaking before the turret removed itself from the tank. He quickly studied the two before directing his team towards the tank. "You three handle the tank! I'll take on the turret! Fuuka, weaknesses?"

 _"They're both immune to light and dark!"_ she informed them. _"Be careful of the Justice Shadow! It can use Hama skills!"_

"Thanks!" Minato called out before pulling up his Evoker. "Ragh! Persona!" Yatagarasu appeared again and both the turret and tank visibly slowed.

With the three girls barraging the Chariot Shadow behind him, it didn't take long before the tank fell. _"One enemy left!"_ Fuuka informed him. _"No, wait! Minato-kun! The Chariot is getting up again!"_ The Justice Arcana danced in the air triumphantly as it successfully cast Samarecarm.

"Why don't you stay down!?" Minato scowled as he prepared an attack. He slashed at the turret and saw it fall to the ground only to have it completely revive again. As soon as it was ready, it took aim at him. The boy was about to dodge out of the way, but he noticed Mitsuru and Hamuko behind him. He grit his teeth as he prepared to take the hit himself. "Kgh!"

Sensing that his team was his weakness, the Justice Shadow began purposefully taking aim at the other girls. It fired twice towards Hamuko and Minato quickly intercepted the shots.

 _"Minato-kun! What are you doing?"_ Fuuka noticed as the leader purposefully entered the enemy's line of fire.

"Don't worry about me!" he called as he summoned Sarasvati to cast Bufula. "Make sure the others take down the Chariot!"

 _"B-but—!"_

"The sooner they do that, the sooner they can assist me!" Minato cut her off. He winced as he took another shot, this time aimed for Mitsuru.

Fuuka shook her head. _"Hamuko-chan! The Justice Shadow is purposefully aiming towards you three! Minato-kun is taking every shot he can!"_

"Nii-san, you idiot!" Hamuko frowned as she summoned Sati. "Senpai, Ai-chan! Go around the side! Make sure the Chariot Shadow is between us and the Justice Shadow!" she ordered.

Minato heard his sister and smirked. With more room to maneuver, Minato quickly charged towards the turret. His eyes widened as a seal of light appeared in the air. _Is that—!?_

 _"Minato-kun!?"_ Fuuka's voice echoed as the boy was hit by the Hama spell.

"Nii-san?" Hamuko watched as Minato fell to the ground.

Although he switched to Yatagarasu at the last second, the aftermath of being hit by the attack left Minato stunned. His body was still lagging behind from nearly having his spirit torn out of him. His thoughts rapidly came and went as he tried to regain his bearings but the Justice Shadow laughed at him as it recombined with the tank body. Everything moved around him in slow motion as he prepared for the worst.

Hamuko was frozen in place too as there was nothing she could do to quickly get to his side and pull him to safety. The brunette was about to make an attempt when from the corner of her eye, she noticed Aigis quickly taking action.

"Activating Orgia Mode!" Aigis's joints began to glow as her internal machinery increased her power output. Using all her might, she launched herself towards the combined Shadows, knocking it over before pulling Minato to safety.

As she did so, Minato barely registered what was happening and his head began to hurt as a bright light flashed in his eyes. _This feels familiar… Did this happen to me before?_

In his mind, he heard his younger self screaming. _"Hamuko!? I'm coming to get you!"_ His small body scrambled back to the car and he pulled his younger sister out from the wreckage.

 _This memory… Why am I seeing this now?_ Minato wondered as Aigis finally stopped pulling on him.

"Rescue successful," Aigis reported to Hamuko before fully assaulting the enemy with Mitsuru's support.

Hamuko quickly cast a healing spell on the boy and Minato bolted up, taking a deep breath of air. He fell into a coughing fit as Hamuko knelt by his side. "Nii-san!"

"Sorry," Minato said as he got up. He winced as his body had sustained many shots trying to protect them. He glanced up towards Aigis and frowned at her sudden shift in performance. "Orgia Mode...?" He knit his eyebrows together as something about the robot's rough but agile movements were familiar. Aigis had explained to the twins the functions of Orgia Mode, but he hadn't really tested it out because he found it easier to precisely command what he needed of Aigis. Seeing it here for the first time, the field leader was at a bit of a loss on how to revise his battle strategy. He couldn't spend too much time on such thoughts though when he noticed his sister preparing to return to battle.

"Can you still fight?" she asked her brother.

"Yeah," he nodded before bringing a hand up to his headset. "Fuuka, any ideas on what we should do against them?" He kept a careful eye on Aigis and noticed smoke coming out of her joints. "Make it quick too. Aigis looks like she's about to overheat," he urgently stated.

 _"It looks like you can't defeat them while they're in the combined_ _form,"_ Fuuka told him, _"but you'll still have to beat them both at once!"_

"Understood," Minato nodded as he turned towards his sister.

"Nii-san, we'll have to use King and I again," Hamuko suggested.

The boy's blue eyes widened as an idea came to him. "Hold off on that spell for when Aigis overheats." When Hamuko nodded to him in understanding, Minato turned towards Aigis and Mitsuru in time to see the Shadows separate once more. He watched as Aigis focused on the Chariot and seeing he couldn't relay commands to her, he focused on calling out to Mitsuru instead. "Senpai! Change of plans, focus on supporting me against the Justice Shadow!" He started towards the fencer but looked back towards his sister. "Let me know when Aigis reaches her cooldown period!"

"On it!" Hamuko nodded as she took off towards the Chariot. She fired her Evoker a few times to help repair Aigis and support the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon's heavy attacks. It didn't take long, however, before Hamuko noticed the blonde slowing down dramatically. "Aigis!"

The blonde knew she was at her limit too but there was no time for her to evade to safety. "Initiating cooling sequence..."

"Nii-san!" Hamuko called out to her brother to warn him of Aigis's inactivity.

Minato shifted his head towards the Chariot but frowned since he and Mitsuru were still working on the second Shadow. "Just a little more..." Refocusing his attention on the Justice, he saw the turret trying to cast Hama again, but this time aimed towards the defenseless Aigis. "Oh no you don't!" The spell stopped short of him as Yatagarasu blocked it. After a quick slash, he jumped back as Mitsuru used an ice spell.

"Yuki! You've taken some damage," she informed him as she healed him too.

"Thanks, Senpai!" He smirked but frowned as the Justice Arcana was aiming somewhere else. "Just where do you think you're firing at?" He took the three shots and winced. "I won't let you harm my team!" He lifted his Evoker and fired. "Kusi Mitama!" A gust of wind attacked the turret Shadow. "Hamuko, we're finally ready!" he called out to her as he motioned for Mitsuru to back away from the Shadows or else she'd get caught in their attack.

"Black Frost!" she cried out.

"King Frost!" he roared.

"Fusion Spell: King and I!"

Minato felt the rest of his strength drain away as the spell wrapped both Shadows in ice. He hoped it would be enough to finish their opponents, but groaned when the Chariot and Justice turned towards him and his sister. Having used up all their remaining energy in their last Fusion Spell, the twins collapsed to the floor, unable to defend themselves against the Shadows.

"D-damn it..." Minato grit his teeth since there was nothing else anyone could do. He looked over towards Mitsuru and saw she had her Evoker prepared, but it seems as though Fuuka stopped her from using a single-target ice spell. If the senior took down one of the Shadows now, there was no way anyone was in a state to restart the battle over again against both. He didn't even have to look towards Hamuko to know that she was just as spent as he was. The SEES field leader clenched his eyes shut as he fervently wished there was something anyone could do in this situation.

"Ai-chan..."

"Huh?" Minato opened his eyes to stare at Hamuko and noticed his younger sister was smirking.

Beyond the two Shadows, Minato felt a presence rise before a determined cry rang out through the cavern. "Palladion!"

The Persona that was supposedly a symbolic manifestation of the Greek Goddess of War suddenly emerged, crashing into both Shadows at once. The twins watched as the Justice Shadow drifted to the ground, bowing to them, submitting itself to their team's strength. The Chariot also fell over but it attempted to get back up before Aigis towered over it, prompting it to give up. The Anti-Suppression Shadow Weapon looked around the battlefield once more to ensure all of their targets had been eliminated. Once satisfied, she hurriedly approached the twins to help them up.

"Shadows eliminated," she simply stated with a nod.

Hamuko cheerily laughed and threw her arms around the robot. "Good job, Ai-chan. I knew you'd save us!"

Minato knit his eyebrows together and gave the strange overprotective android a grateful smile. "Thanks... Aigis."

Mitsuru also nodded in approval of the robot's work. "That was a rather close battle," she stated as the Dark Hour suddenly ended, "but we've succeeded yet again." She studied Aigis with a proud smile before turning towards the path leading to the surface. "Yamagishi just notified me we're still locked here so we'll have to contact the Chairman. Arisato, Yuki, good work as usual."

"Of course, Senpai," Minato nodded.

"No problem," Hamuko smirked. She looked over towards Aigis who was beginning to follow Mitsuru up. "And thanks again, Ai-chan, for saving us!"

"It is my duty to protect you," the robot stated.

Hamuko shook her head. "But I still want to thank you. Just accept it, Ai-chan. You deserve it." Not quite understanding the brunette, the mechanical girl nodded before going on ahead of them. Hamuko nudged her brother's side with her elbow. "I told you she's on our side."

Minato rolled his eyes and shrugged it off. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here. Besides," his tone became serious as he carefully watched Mitsuru dialing in the Chairman's number into her phone, "I want to listen to this."

Once they caught up to the senior, the twins listened carefully as Ikutsuki answered their call. "Yes?"

"This is Mitsuru," the Kirijo heiress responded. "We've neutralized the target."

"Good work." Minato imagined the man smiling. "You may return."

"Wait," Mitsuru paused. "There's more… Our mission was interrupted by an uninvited guest. He's most likely a Persona-user."

"A Persona-user!?" Ikutsuki sounded rather surprised, but Minato knew better as he heard laughter coming from the transceiver.

 _So he does know,_ Minato thought as he brought a hand over his ear.

"And he wasn't alone," Mitsuru continued explaining the situation. "They appeared quietly during the Dark Hour and seemed to be aware of our activities."

"Hmm… Did they say anything that might give us a clue?"

"Come to think of it… They said they're called 'Strega'." Mitsuru looked over to Minato. "Yuki seems have made contact with them previously too."

"Strega…?" _So he's gotten that far on his own?_ Ikutsuki seemed pensive. "I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you," Mitsuru sighed in relief. "I have one final thing to report… I regret to inform you that we fell right into Strega's trap, and now we're locked inside here."

"Ah, I see. Since the threat has been eliminated, I'll send someone over as soon as I can."

"I'm sorry…" Mitsuru frowned to herself. "We'll be waiting."

Minato sighed as the laughter stopped ringing in his ears. He looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry for withholding this information. I had only met them once previously outside of the Dark Hour," he partially lied. "They sensed my Persona and tried to recruit me. I'm certain that they've been the ones responsible for the recent Dark Hour murders."

"Did you know about their abilities?" the senior asked him.

"I had my suspicions," the boy continued, relieved that the senior seemed to believe him. He noticed Hamuko's stern frown though as she sensed he wasn't telling the complete truth. He decided to distract Mitsuru with a few concerns of his own. "A few questions I must ask though, Senpai. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I noticed one had an Evoker." Mitsuru sharply looked back at the boy. "How was he able to get one? And also, before they awoke to their power, how did they go undetected for so long? Do you know something, Senpai?"

Minato carefully studied the senior's reaction. Mitsuru frowned but didn't notice the boy's careful gaze. "No… The Evokers are custom-made. The Chairman is the one who foresees this. Perhaps a rogue scientist…?"

"I see," Minato frowned, now certain the Chairman was responsible for Strega's existence. "I'm sorry if I brought up an unnecessary point, Senpai. There must be a reasonable explanation for all this."

"Yes," the older girl nodded to the two before looking at the rest of the team as they finally emerged from the tunnel. "The two of you did well today. I'll check on everyone else while you can relax. Keep up the good work."

"Thanks, Senpai," Hamuko nodded before sternly looking at her brother.

He avoided her gaze. "Not now," he told her. "I'll explain things to you later."

"You'd better, nii-san," the younger twin narrowed her eyes on him. _I didn't like how Takaya was studying you… Even without the Reapers I can tell he's obsessed with Death… Nii-san… Just what did they want from you?_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

The entire team waited as Hamuko triumphantly set down her shopping bag. "Okay, everyone! I got each of you new armor!" she beamed at them. "Go get changed!"

Minato felt a shiver run down his spine. "This can't be good…"

Fuuka smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

The leader waited as everyone found their new armor and went to get changed. The blue-haired boy paused as he stood in front of the bag. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"What is it?" the navigator asked curiously.

Minato showed her the pair of blue swim trunks his sister bought. "We're not climbing Tartarus like this!"

Hamuko, the first to finish changing, tapped the pole of her weapon on her brother's head. "And why not?" She smiled at Fuuka and twirled around in her bikini. "It's summer! We might as well have a beach party in Tartarus."

Akihiko came out in his small swimsuit and stretched. "This might actually be some good training," he smirked.

Yukari paused as she came out of the changing area. "Um…" Her face went red as she stared at the boxer. "Can he change back?"

"Come on, we need to build our tolerance to being wounded," Akihiko shook his head.

"Can I not be in the same group as him then?" Yukari sighed to Minato.

Mitsuru picked up her rapier. "Well, this armor _is_ stronger than what we previously had before…"

Aigis nodded. "Despite its appearances, our new attire appears to have additional protective properties." The blonde stared down at her light blue sundress.

Junpei smirked at Hamuko as he returned to the team. "Man, don't you just love summer?" He frowned when he noticed Minato was still staring at his swim trunks. "Come on, dude. Join the fun!"

"This isn't fun," the boy frowned at the capped boy. "We're fighting Shadows in a life or death situation."

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded to her brother. "Meaning you need to improve what you have on now. Go get changed." She remembered something and took out another bag. "Oh, and Fuuka-chan. I know you don't fight, but I got you some armor too."

"Stop calling it armor…" Minato groaned. "No matter how you look at it, it's not armor."

Fuuka blushed as she stared at the new bikini. "Um… Minato-kun… If I change too, will you?"

The blue-haired boy tensed up. "You're not being roped into this too, are you?"

The girl's brown eyes glowed in determination. "I don't want you to get hurt while you're in Tartarus, so I think it's a good idea."

Hamuko laughed. "Thanks, Fuuka-chan. I knew I could count on you!" She shoved both teens into the changing area. "I'm taking everyone else up then. Yukari, you can stay down here with them!"

"Thank goodness," Yukari sighed as she watched Akihiko disappear through the warp point.

Minato walked out in the sandals and frowned. "I really hate being shirtless," he complained as he uncomfortably rubbed his burn marks.

Fuuka blushed as she stared at him. "I think you look nice, Minato-kun!"

Yukari nodded as she smirked at the two. "Yeah. No one really expects you to have such good muscle tone underneath what you wear." She laughed at her classmate. "And given your posture, you look too sickly to be even wearing swim trunks."

"S-stop staring," the boy muttered, turning his back on them. "Shouldn't this be the other way around?" He frowned at himself.

"Yes, but you're too much of an older brother to actually make a move on us," Yukari snickered. "Right, Fuuka?"

Fuuka blinked as she had been staring at Minato's sculpted back. "U-um…" She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she gave the two an apologetic frown. "I should probably get back to helping the others."

"Yeah, get on that," Minato nodded to her. He shook his head before turning back to Yukari. "I wonder how they're doing up there."

"Hopefully Akihiko-senpai is doing okay," Yukari shrugged. "I wonder if his swimsuit makes it hard for him to get close to the Shadows."

Minato crossed his arms and turned away from her. "Please don't give me a mental image of that ever again…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Hrm... Something I overlooked was that Black Frost shouldn't be available until halfway into September... Oh well... I'll just pretend Black Frost just needs a Triangle Spread of only King Frost, Pyro Frost, and Jack Frost... Queen Mab kinda doesn't belong there... as far as I know and think... So I have like 3-4 chapters left before I'm caught up with my game. After which, I'll be doing weekly posts, or sporadic posts to match my game progress. Well, we'll see. I have something important this week to take care of so just a heads up.


	27. Height of Summer Romance

**Author's Notes:** Long chapter despite not being an operation. That's mainly due to the Summer Festival... You know, I really liked how the movie portrayed it... Everyone was having so much fun as a family.

* * *

~7 AUGUST 2009~

Pharos smiled as he stood at the foot of Hamuko's bed. "Hi, how are you?" he greeted her as she slowly awoke. "I remembered something else… The end won't be brought about by anyone in particular… It's coming because there are many people who wish for it… as if it was destined from the start." Hamuko frowned at this. "But, doesn't that seem like a strange thing to wish for?" Pharos looked at her in confusion.

"I sure don't want it!" Hamuko shook her head.

"I see…" Pharos smiled. "So you don't want it… I wonder what your brother would think…"

The red-eyed girl thought about it, but realized she couldn't predict the older twin's thoughts as she well as she used to. "He wouldn't want it either," she frowned. "But I know he wouldn't think it was a strange wish…"

"Well, I suppose some people would choose death over suffering," Pharos nodded in understanding. "Otherwise, one might end up hating everything in this world…"

Hamuko shivered as she imagined her brother becoming like that. "I still believe that no one wants that," she said with determination.

"Are you certain?" the boy tilted his head to the side. "What about those who hope for an end to their suffering, who wish to find peace?" Pharos chuckled as he sat down on the bed. He crossed his arms and mimicked Minato. "But I suppose in the end, who cares? There's no sense in worrying about it at this point. After all, even I don't fully understand the coming of the end."

Hamuko blinked as Pharos was acting rather strangely. _Has he been spending too much time seeing nii-san?_ "Pharos?"

The boy turned his glowing blue eyes towards her and smiled brightly. "Well, enough about that for now. There's something else I wanted to tell you today… Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom… One in your own garden, and three in the garden opposite yours." He frowned. "I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end, but you should be careful." He nodded his head as a small smile found its way to his face again. "There would have been another flower, but I'm glad a decision has been made."

"I don't get it," Hamuko frowned. _Is nii-san hiding something else from me?_

"I just wanted you to know…" Pharos reassured her, "that I'm worried about you. I'll come again if I find out anything useful. That's what friends are for, right?" He gave her a carefree smile as he faded away. "Well then… Good night. My dearest…"

* * *

~8 AUGUST 2009~

After Minato received a call from Elizabeth regarding Tartarus, he was about to return to his investigation when he heard the familiar knock his sister would use on his door. "Come in," he called out, turning towards the girl. Hamuko entered his room with a worried frown on her face. "Hm? Hamuko, is something wrong?"

"I want an explanation," she said, taking a seat on his bed. "You're hiding things again. You promised me that you'd explain it all to me later."

Minato frowned as he remembered. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Pharos visited me last night. He told me something strange about some poisonous flowers that were going to bloom." She crossed her arms. "Specifically, there was one in my garden, three in the other. There would have been one more, but a decision was made that stopped it from blooming. His last visit before then, he told me you were in the middle of deciding something. Does it have to do with Strega's offer?"

Minato's blank expression immediately soured. "Yeah," he replied.

"That night you triggered King and I alone, you fought them," Hamuko guessed. "It wasn't a Shadow. You lied to me and Fuuka-chan." The girl angrily stared at her brother. "Why?"

"They gave me a choice," Minato calmly answered, keeping his gaze level with hers. "I could have either joined them or stayed with SEES. It was my decision. My decision, my own business. No one else's." He shook his head. "It didn't even matter in the end anyways. I'm still here, aren't I?"

"But you making a choice meant that you were considering leaving," the younger twin pointed out.

The older boy paused. He hadn't expected her to realize that much. He lowered his gaze. "They offered me a way that could probably get rid of the Reapers."

Hamuko noticed the light of fear shining behind her brother's eyes and her expression slightly softened. "R-really?" She felt a bit relieved as it wasn't because he doubted their friends. "Why didn't you accept then?"

"The method would have involved certain Death for me," Minato sighed. "Also… I can't leave SEES _now_. I've carried the team too far to just quit on it."

" _You_ carried the team?" Hamuko lightly joked.

Minato wore a small smile. "No, we both did." He turned his body in his seat so that he was leaning over the back of his chair. "You know, there was another reason why I couldn't join Strega."

"What was it?" the younger twin curiously looked at her brother.

"Ikutsuki," he answered gravely.

"He's involved with them?" Hamuko's eyes widened.

"When I fought them, Jin had an Evoker," Minato told her. "Their Personas aren't exactly stable either." He frowned as he considered various theories, but none of them really had enough evidence on his part so he decided to leave the questions alone. "I wish I had more information, but only Ikutsuki would be able to explain things at this point."

"Then why not ask him?" Hamuko crossed her arms. "What have you got to lose?"

"A lot," Minato sighed. "I still don't know everything he's capable of. I could end up dying. Or I could end up losing myself to the Reapers. Even worse, I might lose you or…" he paused as he felt the panic beginning to take over. "I-I can't afford to lose anyone else at this point," he said shakily as his breaths became shallow.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko sharply called out to him. "We won't lose them!" She got up from the bed and stared into his eyes. In a hushed tone, she comforted him. "I know they're important to us, but we'll protect them this time. They'll protect us too. You're not alone, remember? Fuuka-chan promised to always watch over you."

The boy closed his eyes and tried to focus. "That's r-right," he said, exhaling slowly. "W-we'll be fine," he frowned, as if doubting that statement.

Hamuko shook her head at him. "Hey, stop that. Do you doubt the team?"

"More like myself," Minato blinked at her.

"But you decided to stay with SEES," the younger twin said.

The blue-haired boy thought their situation over. "I suppose I should place my trust in the others a bit more."

"You should," Hamuko crossed her arms and smirked. "You can't do everything by yourself. You're rushing ahead of us on your own again."

Minato lowered his gaze. "It's about time I slowed down, huh?"

"Yeah," the red-eyed girl nodded. "Have faith in us, nii-san. Things will be fine."

"Thanks, sis," the older boy sighed. He paused when he sensed someone in the hall. Someone knocked at his door and he heard Mitsuru clear her throat.

"It's me," she called out. "I'm sorry to bother you while you're resting, but can I have a word with you?"

Hamuko stood up and answered the door. "Coming…"

Mitsuru blinked as she noticed both twins were in the boy's room. "Oh, there you are, Arisato." The redhead entered the room and nodded to them urgently. "Good morning. There's something I need to tell everyone… but I think it would be best if you saw it for yourself. Come to the 4th floor meeting room when you get home tonight, okay? I'll see you then."

Minato blinked as she left his room. "Hrm… I wonder what came up."

Hamuko shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

Everyone looked to each other in confusion as Mitsuru brought the meeting to order. Aigis stared at the Student Council President. "Does this mean we have a new mission?"

Beside her, Junpei shrugged. "I dunno. But, the alarm's not ringin'…"

Some barking made everyone turn towards Mitsuru's seat. Yukari looked at the albino dog in confusion. "Huh!?"

Fuuka straightened up to get a better look. "Koro-chan!?" The dog happily barked as he looked up at Mitsuru. Fuuka got up and knelt by the dog, examining the strange collar he was now wearing. "Are you okay!? Where'd you get this collar?"

Mitsuru wore her usual smirk. "That collar is designed to help control his Persona. In other words, it's an Evoker for dogs."

"Wait…" Yukari frowned. "Does that mean he'll be going into battle?"

"It was a surprise for me as well," Mitsuru nodded to the junior. "But according to the tests, it's quite possible. In fact, it was the Chairman's suggestion." Minato frowned at this. "We'll be looking after him here in the dorm."

"Is that okay with you, Koro-chan?" Fuuka smiled at the dog.

Koromaru barked and Aigis translated for him. "He said, 'I'll return the favor'."

"Man," Yukari smiled. "You're one loyal dog."

Hamuko laughed as Koromaru happily barked. "I'm your new owner, okay?" she teased, giving the dog a belly rub.

"I think your joke is wasted on a dog…" Yukari sighed. Koro tilted his head to the side, not quite understanding.

Junpei smiled at the thought of having a dorm pet. "Hey, make yourself at home… The more the merrier, right? Who cares if you're a dog?" He turned towards Mitsuru. "Alright, I'll take him for a walk. It's summer break after all!"

Mitsuru nodded. "Yes, it is. Enjoy your vacation while you can; summer classes start next week. I'll see to it that you graduate."

The capped junior chuckled. "H-hey… Good one, Senpai. You almost had me there."

The senior looked to him in confusion. "Oh, it's no joke. We'll be taking intensive courses. I've already applied for all of us. I know how difficult it's been balancing school and our late night excursions. You haven't had much time to study. I apologize for that. That's why the Chairman agrees that this is a good idea. I thought I told Takeba and Yamagishi."

"Are you serious!?" Junpei shook his head. "This is the first I've heard of it!"

Fuuka sheepishly smiled at him. "Um, sorry… I forgot to mention it."

"Aw, man!" Junpei sighed.

"Hey," Yukari smirked at him. "With your grades, you should be thanking her!"

"Yeah, right." He turned towards Minato with a sigh. "This sucks. Don't you think?"

"Whatever," the blue-haired boy shrugged. "It really makes no difference to me."

Junpei shook his head at the apathetic leader before looking towards Hamuko. "You've got to agree with me, right?"

"I wish I were dead…" Hamuko sighed, sad that the extra time she could have had teasing her brother was being cut short.

"Hey… Something tells me the class part isn't what's bothering you," Minato crossed his arms. "I seriously don't mind though," he looked to Junpei with a shrug.

Fuuka reassured the two depressed juniors. "W-well, it's only for a few weeks, so let's make the most of it…"

* * *

~11 AUGUST 2009~

The best thing about summer school was the fact that not many people signed up. All the lessons were supplementary and not many teachers made themselves available over the break anyways. Since complete classes were rather rare, it was easier to mix the students from various classes of the same grade into a standard class roster. Hence, Minato decided this was the perfect opportunity to spend as much time as he could with a particular girl not normally in Class 2-F.

"I wonder who's teaching today," the boy blinked as he took a seat next to Fuuka.

"I heard it's Mr. Edogawa," the teal-haired girl replied. She looked at the boy worriedly. "You're not going to fall asleep today, are you?"

"He does that all the time," Hamuko smiled, turning around to face them. "He and Junpei always get away with it too." She smirked at the capped boy sitting behind Fuuka.

Yukari sighed from behind Minato. "Why am I stuck sitting next to Stupei?"

Junpei glared at her. "Stop calling me that!" He smirked as he thought of something. "Hey, Yuka-tan! If I fall asleep, can I use your arm as a pillow like Minato did with Fuuka yesterday?"

"No!" Yukari glared at him.

Minato frowned at the pair behind him. "I didn't—"

"Yes, you did," Hamuko giggled. "I took a picture and everything!"

The blue-haired boy turned towards Fuuka and saw that she wasn't denying his actions. "Fuuka, you should have said something. I didn't mean to be a bother."

The teal-haired girl's face went pink. "N-no, you weren't a bother. I-it was fine. I didn't want to wake you since you seemed very comfortable."

Hamuko snickered at the two before she heard Edogawa enter class. She sensed Minato sit up behind her. _Well, if Edogawa's teaching, of course he'll pay attention._

The school nurse walked over to the podium and shook his head. "I know it's hot, everyone, but let's just try and get through class. Focus pocus!" He tried to cast a spell on the students to get them to pay attention. "You must all be very curious students to be taking this course over summer."

"Not really," Junpei muttered, resulting in Yukari elbowing him.

Edogawa didn't seem to care about the various students whispering as he shrugged before continuing. "I'm not really sure what to make of that." He suddenly chuckled and pushed up his glasses. "Well, let's talk about something interesting today. All you future magicians will want to pay close attentions…" Minato leaned forward as the man chuckled some more. "Today's subject is Tarot."

"Sweet," Minato whispered as he picked up his pencil.

"You seem to be enjoying this," Fuuka lightly giggled as she prepared to take notes too.

"That's right," Edogawa nodded as he continued with his lecture. "Those cards often used in fortune-telling. Originating in 15th century Europe as normal playing cards, tarot cards evolved into tools of divination. A variety of different versions of tarot card decks exist, including the Marseille and Rider decks… But today, in respect of the great magician Crowley, we will be using the Thoth deck."

Minato smiled to Fuuka. "That's the deck our Persona Arcana are based off of," he informed her.

"First, let's talk about the composition of the deck…" Edogawa turned around as he began writing on the board. "The modern 78-card tarot deck is divided into two parts. There are 22 Major Arcana—the face cards—and 56 Minor Arcana, or number cards… The Minor Arcana are also sometimes called pips. The Major Arcana feature a variety of illustrations on their faces. Beginning with 'The Fool' and ending with 'The World'… they tell a story in numerical order that is a metaphor of an individual's journey through life. Each Major Arcana represents a stage on that journey… an experience that the individual must incorporate to realize his oneness. They are all important, so let's take a look at each of the 22 cards, one by one."

Minato's eyes widened. _So on that journey, one should theoretically pass through all of the stages of the Arcana…_

"The first card, numbered 0, is The Fool. It represents the beginning and suggests infinite possibilities."

Hamuko turned back to share a smirk with her brother.

"The next card, The Magician, represents actions and initiative… but also immaturity."

The twins turned back toward Junpei as he triumphantly sat up, but faltered at the last part. "H-hey, I can be mature," the capped boy muttered.

"The Priestess represents contemplation and inner knowledge."

Minato gave Fuuka a soft smile as she blushed.

"The Empress represents motherhood and the life it brings forth."

"That sounds like Kirijo-senpai," Minato nodded.

"The Emperor is an opposing card," Edogawa paused to explain. "It represents fathering and relates to leadership and decision-making skills."

"Well, there's Akihiko-senpai," Yukari smirked.

"The Hierophant represents formality and knowledge, and stands for religion."

Hamuko smirked to herself. _Shinjiro-san? Formality and knowledge? I wonder…_

"The Lovers card represents choice. Here, the individual's consciousness has finally surfaced."

Junpei stared Yukari with wide eyes. The brunette glared at him as her face slightly became red. "What are you staring at!?" she whispered.

"The Chariot represents victory for the individual, but only a momentary one."

Minato tilted his head to the side. _I don't really understand Aigis well enough to apply this to her, but I guess it fits? She must have fought a powerful Shadow before being put away for all those years._ The boy winced as a memory momentarily tried to resurface.

"Justice represents the knowledge of what is right, and what is wrong."

Hamuko frowned. _Ken-kun feels like he has this Arcana. I wonder why._

"The Hermit represents the individual's search for answers by looking inward, deep inside his heart."

 _With the way Jin looks to Takaya? No way,_ Minato thought.

"Fortune represents fate, and the opportunities that come with it."

 _Takaya…_ Minato scowled to himself. _Whatever opportunity he tried to offer me… I'm glad I turned it down._ The boy smirked to himself as he looked over to the girl beside him taking notes.

"Strength represents both passion and self-control. It is depicted as power with reason."

"Hey, that's Koromaru!" Junpei smirked.

"The Hanged Man reflects the individual's inability to take action."

Minato blinked as he remembered the red-haired girl wearing white. _I've never seen that girl's Persona but I sensed the Hanged Man within her. Actually, is she really a part of Strega?_

"Spiritual death awaits the individual with the 13th card, which is aptly named Death," Edogawa smirked to the class. "Death is considered a transitional card… The old ends, and the new begins."

"The old… ends?" Minato frowned at this. _Isn't that what Pharos has been warning us about?_

"Now, let us continue along the path, following the transition." Edogawa cleared half of the board as he continued. "Temperance is the balancing of opposites. Opening his eyes to the world allows the individual to grow…"

Minato felt something strange stir within him. _Just where am I on this journey?_

"And as the Devil represents, he then faces temptation…"

The blue-haired boy clenched his left hand into a fist as his other hand continued writing. _I made my choice,_ Minato nodded in determination.

"At The Tower, his values collapse on him," Edogawa crossed his arms. "It seems as if he no longer has anything to believe in."

Minato's eyes grew wide. _But… That can't be right._ He frowned to himself. _I won't falter… I just can't._

"But…" Edogawa smiled. "He then finds a glimmer of hope, represented by The Star; and he is suffused with a serene calm."

"Hey, nii-san," Hamuko leaned back with a smirk. "It's like how being around Fuuka-chan puts a silly smile on your face."

"This bliss makes him vulnerable to the illusions of The Moon," Edogawa sighed. "Fears arise, and he follows the dim path in his heart with trepidation…"

Minato blinked at his notes. _So I'm caught somewhere around the Tower, the Star, and the Moon…_

"But he is rewarded with a bright future," Edogawa pointed at the board, "represented by The Sun, which signifies true achievement."

 _So that's what I'm striving for,_ Minato smirked.

"Judgement awaits the individual at the end of his journey, as he looks back on the path he has traveled."

Minato glanced at the previous notes he had taken. "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will," he absently muttered.

"The final card is The World," Edogawa nodded, "which represents the individual's full awareness of his place in the world."

"The World…" Minato's eyes shone. _We haven't encountered a Persona like that yet… I wonder if we can…_

"That is the growth of an individual as explained by the tarot cards," Edogawa concluded. "Perhaps all this talk about life doesn't hit home with you young folks just yet, hm?" Edogawa chuckled at them.

Fuuka noticed as Minato stared at his notebook blankly. "Minato-kun? Is something wrong?"

The blue-haired boy turned his head slightly towards her. He wore a frown that Fuuka knew he was contemplating something. "I don't quite know how to put it into words," he whispered to her. "But…" He trailed off as he noticed Edogawa continuing with the lecture. "N-never mind. I'll tell you some other time, Fuuka."

"Now, you can use all 78 cards to divine the future in detail… but most people only use the 22 Major Arcana." Edogawa went back to the podium as he picked up his example deck. "Okay. Next, let's talk about how to tell fortunes using the Major Arcana. First, you will need to shuffle the cards. If a card is reversed, its meaning will change, so it's important…"

Yukari sighed as the boy next to her fell asleep. "Figures…" She looked at the boy in front of her and noticed he was busy taking notes. "Huh, it's rare for you to be so focused in class," she whispered. The boy didn't respond so Yukari glanced at Fuuka.

Fuuka responded with a small smile. "Minato-kun is pretty deep in thought," she whispered.

Yukari heard Hamuko giggling from in front of Minato. "Nii-san is so silly sometimes."

"I'm right here, you know," the blue-haired boy sighed. He returned his attention to Edogawa as the man explained to them the nuances of tarot fortune-telling. _Speaking of which… I should probably stop by Escapade today._

* * *

Den Mother smiled as Minato took a seat. "You have only one fortune today. Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes, please," the blue-haired boy nodded.

"Very well…" She looked into her ball as three blades surrounded a figure. "Three blades close in on you, tearing the shadow apart… A brave howl confronts them…" A dog wielding a knife in his mouth cut through the darkness. "Things seem to be stirring around you once again… There is more… In the depths of the abyss, another blade watches you closely…" Minato felt the strange eyes within the darkness focus on him. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato bowed before leaving. _So Koromaru joined, but Strega is still watching us… No, it might not refer to Strega. It could be Ikutsuki… I need to be careful about how I interpret this. Things are getting a lot more complicated._

* * *

~16 AUGUST 2009~

Minato looked up from his book when he noticed his cell phone ringing. He checked the number and gladly closed the assigned novel. "Hello?"

"Hello, Minato-kun?" Fuuka's cheerful voice greeted him. "Hi, this is Fuuka."

"Hey, is something up?" Minato detected a strange mixture of happiness and shyness in the girl's tone.

"Um, the Summer Festival is taking place at the Naganaki Shrine today…" Fuuka's voice wavered. "So, I was wondering… If you're not busy, would you like to go with me?"

Minato threw his legs over the side of his bed and sat at the edge. "Sure."

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!" Fuuka sighed in relief.

"I'll meet you downstairs tonight then, okay?"

"A-alright!" Fuuka sounded extremely happy as she hung up.

* * *

Minato watched as everybody in the dorm left for the festival. He and Fuuka were the last to leave, but he didn't mind. The festival was going to be open all night and he didn't really want the others seeing the two of them leave together. He fixed the sleeves of his simple yukata before he heard the girl come down the stairs.

Fuuka paused when she saw him get up. "M-minato-kun," she said, staring at his dark blue yukata. It was a very simple design, as she noticed the thin vertical lines that decorated it, but the way it framed the boy's muscular body made her blush. Her blush intensified when she noticed the open neckline revealing his collarbones. "You look very handsome," she complimented him.

Minato smiled as he bowed his head in thanks. "You look nice too," he said. "The sunflowers suit you." Fuuka felt her face burn up a little more. Minato noticed but he extended his hand towards her. "Shall we go?"

Fuuka giggled at him as she accepted his hand. They walked to the shrine and the girl looked around the lively festival. "Oh, I'm so glad there are other people wearing yukatas…" She became embarrassed and buried her face into Minato's sleeve. "Um, I don't stand out too much, do I?"

"What do you mean?" Minato asked her.

"I usually don't wear this kind of clothing, so I'm feeling a little uncomfortable…" she admitted.

"You look great," the boy reassured her. "You're always so cute, Fuuka."

"R-really?" Fuuka's blush was permanently stuck on her face. "Thank you." She and Minato stared at a few booths before continuing through the festival. "You know, wearing this has made me think… Yukatas are so light and airy… They're perfect for the humid summers we have here in Japan… In fact, sumo wrestlers wear yukatas all summer long…" She paused before giggling. "Oh, sorry… I guess that's not really what people talk about at a festival, huh…?"

"No, but I think it's fascinating," Minato tilted his head to the side. "I never really knew that about sumo wrestlers." His blue eyes glowed as he pointed to his own yukata. "Compared to everyone else's design, mine is pretty plain, isn't it? It's a more traditional color and style, but I like it. Hamuko says I should get a new one with a flashier design to match the times, but I can't help it if I look better in the more traditional scheme. Did you know that the patterned yukatas are actually very new? They were inspired by Western designs after they introduced black and deep green into Japanese fashion." The boy stopped talking and blushed. He chuckled to himself. "I'm rambling…"

Fuuka shook her head. "I think it's fascinating too, Minato-kun."

"I'm glad," Minato smiled. "These talks of ours are really fun and it would be strange for us to not ramble about random things." He paused when he heard his stomach growl.

"U-um…" Fuuka giggled at him before she felt that she was hungry too. "Oh, it's time for dinner…" She looked around at the booths around them. "Let's get something to eat from one of the food stalls." They lined up at the nearest booth and Fuuka smiled at the worker. "Excuse me. May I please have an order of takoyaki?"

"Sure you can!" the vendor smiled at the couple. "Here you go, one order of takoyaki! I threw in an extra one. I hope you and your boyfriend enjoy it!"

Fuuka looked at the vendor in surprise. "Um… Thank you…"

"B-boyfriend?" Minato pulled the girl away with him as they found a quiet place to enjoy the food.

"She gave us an extra piece of takoyaki…" Fuuka quietly said with a blush. She happily smiled to herself as she looked to Minato. "Let's eat, Minato-kun!" She took a bite of one but paused, eyes widening a bit.

"Fuuka, are you okay?" Minato looked to her in concern.

She gave him a reassuring smile. "It's a little too hot to eat right now, but I just can't help myself… It's so good!" The blue-haired boy smiled at her as he tried one for himself. "It tastes just like the takoyaki at Octopia, doesn't it?" Fuuka looked back at the vendor and frowned. "Oh, wait a minute… Do you think she's the same person…?"

Minato glanced up at the vendor. "Maybe?"

"Hmmm…" Fuuka tilted her head to the side. "Maybe they're twins…"

After they finished the takoyaki, Minato threw away the trash. Fuuka eagerly pulled him along beside her as they looked at the various stalls. Minato brightly laughed. "Fuuka, we have all night!" He paused when he noticed something catch her eye.

"Oh, look…" Her brown eyes brightened. "Masks!" She pointed at the various masks on display. "These ones look like animals. Hmm…" She studied the designs. "What's this? A cat? A dog?" She stared another in confusion. "An octopus?"

Minato chuckled. "I don't think that's quite it, Fuuka."

Fuuka frowned as she stared at it some more. A smile suddenly appeared as she recognized it. "Oh, it's a 'hyottoko' mask…" She lightly laughed. "His face is so funny… Look at how his eyes bulge!" She turned towards Minato. "These masks really set the mood for the festival, don't you think?"

Minato laughed alongside her as they walked towards another booth. "They look fun, but I think I have enough 'masks'."

"Oh, that's right," Fuuka nodded at him. "You have multiple Personas." She paused as she stared at him. "So you wear different masks to face different hardships. That sounds difficult, Minato-kun. I wonder which mask is the real you." She looked at him sadly.

"Fuuka, no matter what Persona I use or mask I wear, I'll always be me," Minato said. "I don't exactly know about a true self, but I'm me." He smiled as he lifted the girl's hand. "A part of being me is enjoying spending time with you." He pressed her hand against his lips and watched as the girl blushed at his actions. "How about you, Fuuka?"

"I like being with you too, Minato-kun," she honestly answered.

"This is my true self, right?" he asked as he lowered her hand.

"You're the same as always," Fuuka nodded. "Kind, considerate, smart, strong, and brave."

"H-hey, I didn't want you to go that far," Minato turned his head away, his face burning up. "I keep telling you that I'm not that great."

"You have a bad habit of doubting yourself and keeping your burdens to yourself, but that's a part of who you are too," Fuuka giggled. "Even if you're problematic at times, I like those parts too," she shyly said.

Minato paused as he stared at the teal-haired girl. "Fuuka…" A smile grew on his face but before he had a chance to say anything else, someone from a booth called them over.

"Hey! You two! Would you like to play Lucky Draw?"

Minato turned to glare at the man, but curious as ever, Fuuka pulled him towards the game booth. "W-what? Hey!" he cried out as he let the girl drag him along.

"All you do is pick a ball! It's easy! And, everyone's a winner!" The game attendant smiled at them.

"Lucky Draw, huh…" Fuuka studied the container of lottery balls. "Let's give it a try!" She gave Minato a big smile. She paused as she considered something. "But, I'm not very lucky, so I think you should do it, Minato-kun…"

Seeing how the girl was giving him such a soft expectant look, Minato gave her a small smile. "Alright," he nodded. He reached into the box and frowned. _How to deal with this? I'm not as lucky as Hamuko when it comes to these things… Ah, to hell with it._ Minato forced his hand into the bottom of the container and picked the first ball he could get a good hold on. He pulled it out and handed it to the game attendant.

"Now, let's see what you—" the smile on the man's face disappeared. "Tch! You actually won!? How is that poss—I mean, congratulations!"

Minato knit his eyebrows together. _So the game was rigged? Did I pull off some sort of miracle?_ The boy didn't question it too much as the man took down a doll that was hanging in the back of the booth.

"Well, here's your prize… You won a Jack Frost Doll."

Minato accepted the doll and he stared at it in confusion. _Wow… It looks exactly like Jack Frost…_

Fuuka happily looked at him, eyes wide. "You won a prize!?" She giggled. "Wow! That's amazing, Minato-kun!"

Minato chuckled to himself. "You should have it, Fuuka."

"B-but…" She stared at the large doll he placed in her hands.

"Fuuka," the boy gave her a gentle smile. "Please accept it?"

His soft gaze made her warm inside. _Minato-kun…_ She nodded and hugged the doll tightly. "Thank you!" She gave the boy a grateful smile before she noticed the sky was beginning to darken. "We've been here for quite some time. We should probably get going."

Minato looked up. "Hm… Wow, I didn't even notice the time passing."

Fuuka blushed as she smiled into the Jack Frost Doll. "This is the first time we've had a chance to spend time together like this…" Minato turned his head back towards her. "So thank you… I had a lot of fun."

The blue-haired boy nodded as he carefully took a hold of her arm as they walked back to the dorm. "I had fun too," he smiled.

* * *

Hamuko blinked when Minato came down the stairs in a yukata. "Nii-san, you're actually going out tonight?"

The boy frowned at her. "Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

Junpei smirked at the boy's outfit. "You on a date, man?"

"Who knows?" Minato shrugged.

Yukari stared at the blue-haired boy. "You actually look nice in that," she said. "I didn't think you'd be able to pull off that look."

"Nii-san is pretty traditional," Hamuko giggled. "Don't you have a yukata, Junpei?"

He smirked. "Nope. I'm more of the type of guy who knows how to appreciate a girl in a yukata." His smile grew as he came up with a thought. "Man, what if our school uniform was a yukata…?"

"You sound like a perv," Yukari sighed.

Junpei winked at the archer. "Come on. Don't give me that. You and Hamuko look pretty cute, Yuka-tan! Don't you think so, Ken?" He smirked at the young boy sitting in the lounge.

Ken smiled up at the juniors. "You both look very nice," he nodded. He stared at Minato oddly. "Yuki-san, just why are you wearing a yukata?"

"I felt like it," Minato plainly answered.

Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Aigis came down. Hamuko's eyes widened at Mitsuru's yukata. "Senpai, you look amazing!"

"Thank you," Mitsuru smiled. She turned towards the two other juniors and Minato. "I must say, all of your yukatas suit you."

Akihiko frowned. "So is Fuuka not coming with us?"

"No," Yukari shook her head. "She said she's not very good with crowds."

"Minato's not coming with us either," Junpei smirked.

"I promised someone I'd go with them instead," the blue-haired boy shrugged.

"A date?" Akhiko asked. He crossed his arms. "Trying to impress a girl by wearing yukata of your own, huh?"

"Is it really that strange for me to be wearing a yukata to a summer festival?" Minato sighed. He straightened up to prevent wrinkles from forming on his clothes. "By the way, why is Aigis going?"

"I am curious as to what occurs during a summer festival," Aigis replied. "Junpei-san says it is the height of a summer romance."

"Too bad Junpei wouldn't know about romance considering he doesn't have a date," Yukari sighed.

"Hey, I resent that!" the capped boy said, but he sighed too. He smiled at Minato. "Well, have fun on your date, man."

"I never said I had a date," Minato shook his head.

"You never said you didn't," Hamuko pointed out with a smirk.

Akihiko shook his head. "We should all get going. You're leaving later, Minato?"

"Yeah," the blue-haired boy nodded.

Ken stood from his seat. "It's too bad Fuuka-san doesn't want to attend."

"I'm sure she'll have fun anyways," Minato shrugged. "I'll see you all later."

"You wear this so conservatively," Hamuko pouted before readjusting his yukata to show a little more of his chest. "There! I'm sure Fuuka-chan will like that much better," she quietly told her brother, causing him to blush. "Later, nii-san!" She smirked towards Koromaru. "You're coming with us, boy!" The dog happily barked as he followed after everyone else.

Yukari tilted her head to the side when Hamuko and Koromaru caught up to them. "Will they even let Koro into the festival?" she asked.

The dog yipped and Aigis nodded. "Koromaru says that the shrine allows him in the games area as well as the playground. He is not permitted to enter the booths where food is sold."

"Ah, that's too bad," Junpei smirked. "I'll sneak you some takoyaki and yakitori when we get there!" He winked at the dog, resulting in a happy bark.

Hamuko's eyes widened as they got closer to the shrine. "Wow! Everyone's so lively!"

Akihiko turned his head back to look at the excited junior. "Haven't you ever been to a festival before?"

"Nii-san and I go every year," Hamuko said. "Each city tends to throw in their own spin to the festival, but there's something different about this one." The brunette giggled as a few kids ran past them, wearing masks. "I guess that can be due to the location. The play structure must attract a lot of kids so families must come together."

Mitsuru smiled at the junior. "It's good to see you have fun. We have the entire night to look around, so I suggest we keep going." She spotted Aigis trying to break away from the team. "Aigis, you're not allowed to leave SEES on your own."

Aigis nodded. "I understand. I will remain by your side."

Akihiko's smile fell. "How about you stick with Ken? Or Koromaru? Or even Junpei?"

Junpei smirked at the blonde. "Ai-chan! Let's get some takoyaki!"

Yukari shook her head at the simple boy. "Hey! Be careful! It's crowded and we might get separated."

The capped boy paused as he noticed the seniors were gone. "I think it's too late for that, Yuka-tan."

Ken frowned as he searched for Hamuko. "Um, Hamuko-san and Koromaru disappeared too."

"Great, we got separated!?" Yukari sighed.

"Perhaps I should look for them?" Aigis prepared to leap into the air.

"N-no! Aigis!" Yukari grabbed the robot girl's arm. "You're sticking with us. Ken, come on. You're hungry too, right?"

* * *

Hamuko had been distracted by the excitement that she didn't realize she had been separated from the team until she noticed only Koromaru was following her. She frowned at the dog. "I guess I got carried away, didn't I, boy?" The albino dog barked at her in response and she smiled. "Well, at least we still have each other! Let's go look around!"

The red-eyed girl passed many of the booths and smiled as many of the attendees recognized Koro. The dog happily accepted the pets and scratches. He would occasionally bark a few times before begging for some treats but when he was done, he would always return to Hamuko's side.

"You're quite the charmer, aren't you, Koro-chan?" Hamuko carefully knelt down and scratched behind his ear. "Well, it's not fair for you to be the only one eating, so I should get something too." She quickly got back up but had forgotten she was wearing a yukata. She lost her balance and fell into someone. "I'm sorry! I—" She looked up to see a pair of steel grey eyes staring into her.

"You oughta be more careful," the owner of grey eyes roughly told her as he helped her regain her balance.

"Shinjiro-san, thank you," Hamuko slightly bowed. "I didn't expect to see you here," she said, her face warming up.

"I'm helping out some of the food stalls," the brunet shrugged. "Gotta make cash somehow." He noticed the red-eyed dog staring at him expectantly. He knelt down and pet Koromaru. "So who's this?"

"Koromaru!" the girl happily replied. "We also call him Koro-chan!"

"You're a pretty smart dog," Shinjiro noticed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tray of takoyaki. "Here, it's fresh."

Koromaru barked in thanks as he accepted the treat. Hamuko pouted at the older boy. "I'm hungry too…"

"Well, get in line then," Shinjiro rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Shinji!" the vendor called out to him. "You didn't tell me your girlfriend was coming to visit!"

The older boy pulled his beanie down over his eyes. "She ain't my girlfriend!" he called out.

"Don't be so bashful! Come on. I know you're the quality control for all of the food booths. If you take her along, I'm sure you'll get a lot more food." the vendor laughed as she handed Hamuko a fresh order. "I put in extra so be sure to enjoy it!"

"Thank you!" Hamuko smiled at the kind lady. She looked back to the boy in the maroon coat. "Come on, Shinji-kun!" she teased.

"Like hell I'm lettin' you call me that," Shinjiro growled as he took her away from the bustling crowd.

Koromaru followed and barked up towards Hamuko. She raised an eyebrow at the dog. "Alright, I'll share with you too, but you're being very spoiled today, Koro-chan." She giggled though as she was having fun. She turned back to the older boy. "So you're the one checking food standards?"

"Yeah," the older boy looked away, a blush appearing on his face. "All of the vendors know me and convinced the shrine to let me check quality. Every now an' then I stop by to sample what they have to make sure it's uniformly good. Kinduva joke job, but I can't complain 'bout gettin' paid to do it." He spotted the yakisoba stand and shook his head. "Don't throw the garnish on top of the noodles so casually!" he scolded the vendor. "You've got to evenly apply it!"

The vendor laughed at the tall boy. "Right, right. Sorry, Shinjiro!" He smiled at Hamuko. "Oh, so you _do_ have a girlfriend. Here, it's on the house!"

The red-eyed girl accepted the food with a smile. "Thank you!"

"Enjoy it! Shinjiro, you should go on break too. You've been working all day and I'm sure you'd want to show your cute friend around."

"Ooh," Hamuko's eyes widened. "Shinji-kun, let's go!"

"Tch, don't call me that!" Shinjiro sighed but he decided to pull the girl away from the food stalls. He watched as the vendor told the booths around them that he was going on break. "Looks like I'm off for the night," he shook his head before glaring at the girl.

"What?" the junior frowned at him. "We're at a festival. You should be having fun too." Her smile finally returned. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you're still getting paid."

"I guess," the brunet took a seat at an empty bench. "So, you got a free meal off me," he pointed out.

"Thanks for that, Senpai!" Hamuko smirked before digging into the yakisoba.

"I ain't your senpai," Shinjiro shook his head. He watched as she tossed Koromaru another piece of takoyaki. "Hey, don't give him too much," he said with a frown. "It ain't good for him. And you should take it easy too. Too much festival food ain't healthy."

"But it's so good," the girl whined, putting a takoyaki ball into her mouth. Her eyes widened once she took a bite of it. "Hot!" She wanted to spit it out but she bore through the pain as she quickly chewed and swallowed. "Ow…"

"I told you to take it easy," Shinjiro smirked at her. He looked around the booths. "Here, I'll go get some shaved ice for you. It'll help cool your mouth."

"No, it's fine," Hamuko blushed as she pulled him back into his seat. "We can go together when we're done." She offered up the tray of takoyaki to him. "You want some more?"

The boy smiled as they both finished the takoyaki and yakisoba. "Heh, you've got a big appetite for a girl." He poked her stomach. "You should watch your weight."

"I'll be okay," Hamuko smirked at him. "Nii-san and I have amazing metabolisms. We don't really gain weight."

"Good," Shinjiro smirked. "I'm sure all of the food booths we pass will want to offer you something if they see you with me." He stood up, petting Koromaru as he did so. "So about that shaved ice…"

"Let's share one!" the girl suggested as she stood up after him. She lost her balance again but Shinjiro quickly caught her. "Sorry. I'm not used to wearing a yukata."

"You look cute in it though," the older brunet smiled at her. "The design suits you."

"Thank you," Hamuko blushed. They shared the cold dessert together as they wandered between the stalls. Her eyes widened as she spotted a few game booths. "Oh, Shinjiro-san! Let's play shoot the targets."

"Hey, stop pulling," the boy smiled as he followed after her. "Koro-chan, let's go." Koromaru tilted his head to the side before taking off towards the play structure where some children were gathering. "H-hey, Koromaru!?"

"It looks like it's just us then, Shinji-kun!" Hamuko laughed as she hugged his arm.

"Step right up! You look like a good challenger," the game attendant smirked at Shinjiro. "Gonna win a prize for your girl?" The man tensed up as the brunet glared at him. He lowered his gaze and smiled at Hamuko. "So you wanna try your luck?"

Hamuko lifted the gun and stared at the bottles. "Sure!" She frowned as physics wasn't really her strong suit. She aimed the toy gun carefully, but Shinjiro shook his head when she faltered a bit.

"Hey, you should relax." He reached his arm around her and helped her steady her aim. "You see that dent in the can? Aim there and it should go down easy," he gently whispered. "It's like firin' an Evoker, right?"

The brunette felt her face burn as he was extremely close to her. She nodded her head and held her arm steady. The game attendant went to set up another customer but was surprised when the red-eyed girl fired the gun. The sound of the cans toppling made him turn. "Huh? You actually did it?"

"I did it!" Hamuko turned around and hugged Shinjiro. "Thanks for your help!"

The attendant smiled as he took down a Pyro Jack Doll. "Here you are, lucky little lady."

"Shinji-kun, it's so adorable!" Hamuko squealed as she hugged it tightly. She paused as Shinjiro held her hand and brought them away from the stall. "Um… I wouldn't have won it without your help, so I think you should have it."

Shinjiro smiled down to her. "Nah, you should keep it. It's not something I should keep in the back alleys."

"That's right," Hamuko's smile faltered a bit. "Then can I name him after you?" She lifted the large doll in front of her and brightly beamed at the pumpkin-headed doll. "Nice to meet you, Pyro Shinji."

The older boy stared at her before chuckling. "Do whatever you want," he tried to say seriously, but he couldn't hide how much fun he was having. He looked up at the sky and frowned as they would have to part soon. "I guess we should look for Koro-chan and get you back to the dorm."

Hamuko looked down in disappointment. "Yeah…"

Shinjiro studied her face and placed a hand on her head. "Hey, I had fun today," he said with a slight blush. "Your bro gave me your number so… I guess I'll give you a call when I'm free."

"Really?" The girl lifted her red eyes up to meet his grey ones.

 _Shit… When she looks at me like that… I don't think I can say no._ He averted his gaze as his face felt even warmer than before. "Y-yeah… You're on break, right? Let's go eat out or somethin'."

"I'd like that," Hamuko smiled happily at him.

When Shinjiro noticed her expression he relaxed a bit. "Good," he sighed in relief. "I really like it when you smile like that," the boy smiled back at her and noticed her blush. "It really suits you."

Hamuko's smile grew as she hugged the taller boy. "Thank you, Shinjiro-san. I like it when you smile too. Please take care of yourself," she whispered into his chest.

"Y-yeah," Shinjiro sadly looked down at her. _Shit… I shouldn't have let her get this close. Sorry, Minato… I don't think I can leave her alone._ Some barking made him look up. "Hey, it's Koro-chan," he told the girl in front of him.

Hamuko slowly let go of his coat and nodded, wiping up the few tears that had formed. "Thanks for tonight, Shinjiro-san," she said as cheerfully as she could.

"I told you… You look a lot better when you smile," he smiled before he spotted a group of high school students following the dog towards him. "I should go," he sighed.

The girl nodded and watched as he slipped into the crowd. She turned to the rest of her friends and noticed they were only missing the seniors. "Sorry, you must have been worried about me," she chuckled at the team.

"Not really," Yukari shrugged. "I know you can handle yourself." She sighed as she pointed at the capped boy beside her. "But you did end up leaving me having to babysit Stupei."

"H-hey!" Junpei glared at her before he spotted Hamuko's prize. "Oh, so you ended up having fun anyways! That's good. Check this out!" The boy showed her his prize. "I got a kaleidoscope!" He chuckled as he pointed to the blonde girl beside him. "Aigis won something too."

"I received a water pistol," the robot said, holding up the toy weapon.

"Um, Aigis-san?" Ken frowned at the blonde. "Perhaps you would like to trade with my glass bead? I don't think Mitsuru-san would want you to have that."

"No, I wouldn't," the redhead said with a sigh as she arrived with Akihiko. She noticed the entire team was present and smiled. "I apologize for getting lost from the group. Akihiko and I tried looking for you all, but it seems there was no need to worry." Her arms were crossed but Hamuko noticed the mask the senior was holding.

Akihiko smirked at the team, readjusting the matching mask hanging from the side of his head. "It looks like everyone had a good night. Let's get going then! Minato and Fuuka are waiting for us back at the dorm."

"Huh, Minato left early?" Junpei frowned. "Dude has no sense of fun. He had a date too!"

"He never said he had a date," Hamuko tried to mimic her brother before laughing.

"Let's just go." Yukari shook her head as she smiled. She paused as she walked beside her friend. "Well, I hope you weren't too lonely spending the festival by yourself."

"No, I had fun," Hamuko said, hugging Pyro Shinji tighter.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Mitsuru frowned as Akihiko quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the rest of SEES. When they were sufficiently lost in the crowd, Akihiko let go. "There. Now we can spend the rest of the festival alone," the boxer smiled.

"I appreciate your thoughts and wishes, Akihiko, but I am worried about Aigis," the redhead said, trying to see if she could spot the juniors.

"They'll be fine," Akihiko shrugged. "Come on. Let's get some takoyaki!" He paid for an order and put one in his mouth. "HOT!" He shrugged off the pain though. "Wow, as juicy as always," he smirked. He offered the food to Mitsuru. "Want some?"

"So that's what that food is like," the heiress dubiously stared at it. "No, I'm fine."

"Come on," Akihiko's smirk grew. "Enjoy the festival."

"What a surprise seeing you both here together," a rough voice said.

Mitsuru blushed as she glared at their former colleague. "You're doing well."

"So you're here, too?" Akihiko nodded at Shinjiro.

"I'm workin'," the boy nodded back. "Someone's gotta make sure the food's got standards." He looked over to Mitsuru. "If you want somethin' more towards your tastes, I suggest the yakisoba."

"Thank you, Shinjiro," Mitsuru smiled at him.

"Yeah, whatever. I gotta get back to work," the tall boy huffed. "Have fun on your lil date."

Both seniors blushed as the brunet returned to his rounds. Akihiko crossed his arms. "This isn't a date," he said before he became uncertain. "Is it?"

"No," Mitsuru shook her head, also denying what Shinjiro had just said. "We are merely here as close friends."

"That's right," Akihiko nodded, trying to regain his composure. "Like Minato is with… Fuuka?" He spotted the two juniors staring at the mask booth.

"So Yamagishi did attend," the redhead smiled.

They watched as the blue-haired junior kissed the back of Fuuka's hand. Akihiko let out a whistle. "Wow, he's smooth."

Mitsuru nodded in agreement before something caught her attention. "Oh, a booth selling masks."

Akihiko smiled as he looked at the prices. "500 yen, huh…? I can actually afford these now," he chuckled to himself as he shook his head. He frowned when he recalled his childhood. "Now I actually have the money…"

"Would you like to get one?" Mitsuru smiled at her friend, trying to make him feel better. She looked at the selection and noticed a kingly mask. "This one suits you."

Akihiko blushed as he noticed a beautiful icy blue queen's mask. "How about we get one for each other then?" he suggested as he picked it out for Mitsuru. "We can wear the masks so the others won't be able to recognize us."

"That's a good idea, Akihiko," the redhead blushed as they purchased the masks. After trading masks with him, she put the beautiful mask on and was glad the white-haired boy couldn't see how red her face was. She quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him along to look at the other booths.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** The flaw with Akihiko's logic is that I'm pretty sure people would recognize what they're wearing... but oh well... Also... I totally wish Hamuko had more options to attend the festival with... If Minato can choose between Yuko and Chihiro, why can't Hamuko pick to go with Hidetoshi? Actually... he never hangs out with either characters outside of school anyways, but I wish he did... At least Hamuko doesn't have an alone option like Minato does though... Poor guy... Also poor Shinjiro... I can't really make his story romantic sounding because he's really difficult to work with... But that's because he's not available when I want him to be! Also... fun fact: Shinjiro, Jin, and Officer Kurosawa have the same voice actor. Grant George might not be as as variable as a voice actor as Yuri Lowenthal, but there's something cool about listening to him speak... It doesn't trump my preference for Travis Willingham though...


	28. Summer's End

**Author's Notes:** So and update about my game progress... I finally finished maxing Minato's stats with like 3 weeks to spare... Phew... I was getting worried for no reason.

* * *

~20 AUGUST 2009~

Junpei wiped the sweat off his forehead and fixed his cap. "Man, it's scorching hot out here." He reached for his phone and frowned at the date. "Shoot, it's already the 20th. Summer break's almost over…" he sighed. "Too bad there's nothin' to do. This place is so boring." He passed by the flower shop of Port Island Station but paused when he saw a girl with red hair sitting at a bench, sketching.

The girl looked up and glared at him when she noticed him staring. "Get out of my way. I can't see… Move."

Junpei looked around but did as she said. "Uh… Sorry."

He continued to stare so she frowned at him. "What do you want?"

"Uh, nothing," Junpei shrugged. "My bad." He frowned as he decided to go. "Dude, what's with that outfit…? And, what the hell is she drawing…?" He had caught a glimpse of the scribbles she was etching into her sketchbook. "Well, I'll never understand art. Oh, well…" He brightened up when he saw Minato coming out of the theater. "Yo, dude! What's up?"

Minato looked up at him and waved. "Nothing much," he responded. "The movie marathons are continuing so I thought I'd drop by."

"What was on today?" Junpei smirked.

"Orchestral masterpieces," the blue-haired boy replied, humming what he could remember. He covered his mouth with a hand as he yawned. "That was the best nap I've had in a while," he absently muttered. "What have you been up to?"

The capped boy pointed over his shoulder at the girl on the bench. "Lookin' at art," he smirked.

Minato's blue eyes flashed as he recognized the girl and the Reaper behind her. "Junpei… I didn't take you as one to go for the gothic Lolita type."

The boy blinked at him. "N-no, I wasn't hitting on her!" He paused. "She was just sitting alone drawing."

The leader paused when the Reaper turned its head towards Junpei. "I don't think you should get involved with her, Junpei," he warned his friend. "She looks like trouble."

"H-huh?" Junpei studied his friend's serious face. "What do you mean?"

Minato tried to come up with a way to explain it, but he shook his head. "Never mind. I'm just trying to look out for you, man."

"Hey, I can handle myself," Junpei smirked at him. "Besides, you're right in that I'm not that into her type."

"Well, at least I don't have to worry," the shorter boy shrugged. "I'm heading back to the dorm after stopping by Hagakure's. Wanna come?"

Junpei laughed. "You know it, man!"

The leader started towards the train station but looked back at the girl from Strega. As they waited for the next shuttle, he scanned the entire station but didn't sense any other Reapers. Minato frowned to himself as the Reaper behind the girl continued to stare up towards Junpei. _It's attracted to him for some reason, but I don't see a Reaper on Junpei._ The blue-haired boy decided he would have to keep a careful eye on his friend from now on. _I don't sense danger, but it's not like I can just turn my back on this. I should ask Hamuko for her opinion._

* * *

~24 AUGUST 2009~

Ken paused when he heard a grumpy boy barking at someone on the floor beneath him. "Dammit, I'm tired of your nagging."

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice responded, "but I won't take no for an answer." Curious, Ken stepped closer to the railing to see what was going on.

"Huh?" The young boy spotted Akihiko. "Oh, it's Sanada-san. Who's he talking to? I guess it'd be rude to butt in…" he frowned to himself as he studied the tall boy wearing a beanie. _Isn't he hot in that? Wait, he looks kinda familiar…_

Shinjiro glared at Akihiko. "Well, the answer's still the same: I'm not coming back."

"You know," Akihiko crossed his arms. "Another new Persona-user joined us… and he's not human."

Shinjiro's eyes widened. "What?"

"It's a dog," the white-haired boy explained. "He lost his master six months ago because of the Shadows. He's incredibly loyal… Up 'til now, he's been guarding the spot where his master was killed… despite the bad memories." He pushed the taller boy with a glare.

Shinjiro didn't respond as he remembered the dog following Hamuko during the festival. _So Koro-chan's fightin' too._

Akihiko tried to get his childhood friend to change his mind. "We saw someone die right before our eyes, too…" he said sadly. "But, it's been two years since then… How long do you plan to beat yourself up over it?" he asked. "You're always at that spot behind the station, even though you don't hang out with the crowd there."

"It doesn't matter," Shinjiro shook his head, pulling his beanie down. "It was my fault, and it can't be erased. What difference does it make if I come to terms with it? It won't change anything. This isn't the same as what happened to Miki."

"Shinji…" Akihiko's expression softened as he thought of his younger sister.

"That's enough, already," Shinjiro said, pushing himself past the boxer. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Ken watched as the jacketed boy left. "Two years ago…" His eyes widened as he finally remembered where he had seen him before. "It can't be… So his name is Shinji, huh…?" He frowned as he put his hands into his pockets and slowly walked down the stairs, careful to avoid Akihiko's notice. The elementary schooler was startled by the blue-haired boy exiting the bookstore of the first floor of the strip mall. "Y-yuki-san!"

Minato paused when he noticed Ken. He blinked when a Reaper he hasn't seen in a while appeared behind the young boy. _Huh? A retribution Reaper? That's rare… But for it to come from Ken…_ "Ken-san," he nodded in greeting. "Is something going on?" he frowned.

Ken shook his head. "N-nothing. I didn't expect to bump into you here, Yuki-san."

The blue-eyed boy scanned the area around them, but didn't notice anyone with a Reaper. "Are you returning to the dorm?"

"Y-yes," the boy nodded to him.

"How about I accompany you? I was heading back too."

"S-sure," Ken gave the high school student a smile.

 _You're awfully bad at hiding your intentions, Ken…_ Minato thought as he wondered who the boy wanted vengeance on. "Ken," he began. The boy looked up to him. "I know you're hiding something from me. It has to do with your mom, right?"

"Yuki-san?" The boy looked at the junior in awe. "So it's true about your Hellhound abilities…"

"I suppose," Minato smirked at him. "I won't push you about what's bothering you, but keep what I say in mind. I'm only telling you this because I can probably relate to you. Hamuko and I lost our parents too. You shouldn't focus too much on the past, okay?"

"O-okay," Ken's smile faltered.

"Good," the blue-haired boy nodded.

"Yuki-san?" The elementary school stared at the collected teenager. "I've been told by Ikutsuki-san about the activities of everyone in the dorm. I… I want to be like you and Sanada-san. Would that be okay?"

Minato paused as he studied the younger boy's serious expression. "It's your decision to make, Ken. No one else can make it for you."

"I see," Ken looked towards the ground.

"There really is no right or wrong, but you need to be able to live with your choice," Minato added, hoping to make it easier for the boy. "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. So long as you accept the responsibilities resulting from the path you end up choosing, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Yuki-san." Ken's smile returned.

The blue-haired boy noticed the Reaper behind him fading away. "Change is coming," he smiled to himself. "For better or worse, it's my job to protect everyone. But that doesn't mean I'm using my own strength. I'm also borrowing everyone else's power, so keep that in mind."

"I understand," the boy nodded.

Ken's Reaper fully disappeared and Minato felt himself relax. He inwardly frowned as he considered the number of Reapers haunting him lately. _Something really is coming… I can feel it._

* * *

~28 AUGUST 2009~

Hamuko looked up from her summer homework when someone knocked on her door. Mitsuru called out to her. "It's me. I apologize for the interruption, but do you have a moment?"

"Coming…" the red-eyed girl responded, opening the door.

"Good morning." Mitsuru looked around her room but frowned. "It seems that your brother is out today. The Chairman will be here tonight. We'll meet on the 4th floor as usual. Can you let your brother know too? That's all."

"Of course, Senpai," Hamuko nodded as the senior returned to her room. The brunette blinked as she hadn't seen her brother in a while. She closed her door and pulled out her phone.

* * *

"Back so soon, bearer of light and shadow?"

Minato nodded gravely as he took a seat. "I sense something is happening. I just want to make certain my intuition isn't completely unfounded."

"These fortunes aren't meant to be followed," the lady reminded him.

"No, but they help guide the direction of my investigations," the boy said. "There's something I know I'm overlooking, but I can't seem to figure out what."

"You falter between the light and shadow," Den Mother frowned. "Perhaps that is where you are meant to be."

"Perhaps," Minato replied with a shrug. "I have no qualms about that, but the others… I would prefer it if they remained in the light."

"Well spoken, bearer of light and shadow." She prepared her crystal ball. "Very well… I have one such fortune prepared for you that I hope will aid you."

"Thank you," the boy nodded.

"A dark past, sinking into the deep shadow… It enfolds the people who are involved, and captures them…" Minato made out a young boy and a taller teen. "Who are the ones that are trapped…? Hard though I try to see them, my vision blurs, and everything becomes obscure…" Darkness wrapped around the two. "Can you see…? Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato stood from his seat, a frown on his face. _So Ken really does have a retribution Reaper… I need to figure out who he's after… I can't let him throw his life away like that._

The boy slowly walked home as he collected his thoughts. His phone suddenly rang so he answered. "Minato?" Hamuko's voice asked.

"Oh, hey. Sorry, I was a bit busy. I'm returning to the dorm now."

"Mitsuru-senpai says Ikutsuki is coming over tonight."

"Oh, Ken must have come to a decision then," the boy absently said.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Minato stopped walking. "Huh? Oh… Ken told me Ikutsuki told him about SEES. He wants to join."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Hamuko frowned. "He's a bit too young for the Dark Hour, isn't he?"

"We've been living in the Dark Hour since we were his age," Minato pointed out.

"That's not what I meant," the younger twin sighed.

"No, I know what you're getting at. To be honest, I don't feel comfortable either. I saw a retribution Reaper on him."

"Eh!? Is he after someone? Do you know who?"

"If I knew, then I'd probably be hounding Ken right now," Minato frowned.

"Any other Reapers, nii-san?"

Minato thought about the Strega girl. "No, not really," he lied. "I thought one was appearing on Junpei, but I was wrong. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Hamuko asked dubiously.

"I'm sure," the older brother nodded. "It was really minor so I wouldn't worry too much about him. Keep an eye on Ken though, okay? He's a lot closer to you than he is to me."

"He admires you though, nii-san," Hamuko pointed out.

"That means he'll try to emulate me," Minato frowned. "You know nothing good will come from that if he does."

"You've got a point. Okay, I'll do my best then."

"Thanks," he sighed in relief. "Hey, you hungry? Since I'm out, I'll get you something."

"Sure, I don't mind what. I'll see you later then."

"Right. Later, Hamuko." Minato hung up and stopped walking. _I'm being tied down by SEES… I've made them my biggest weakness and Ikutsuki is taking advantage of that… I should have acted sooner, but it wasn't as though I could have done much. In fact, I can do as much now as I could then. Nothing's changed. I should have… No… I have to take responsibility for staying with SEES. Strega isn't an option now. I have to do what I can from where I currently stand. Even if it does mean playing along._

* * *

Ikutsuki nodded in satisfaction as the entire team waited for him to begin the meeting. "Good, you're all here." He noticed as Minato carefully watched him as he turned towards the door. "Please come in."

"Sorry to interrupt," Ken smiled as he entered.

"You must be kidding…" Akihiko frowned.

Ikutsuki smiled as Minato didn't seem surprised. "After running several tests, we've learnt that he has more than adequate potential. I called this meeting so that I could introduce him, since he'll be joining our squad."

Mitsuru looked to the man in surprise. "B-but Mr. Chairman, he's still in elementary school." The senior frowned as she considered something. "Besides…"

"Besides… what?" Ikutsuki gave her a reassuring smile. "His ability is quite promising. With the proper training, he could be a big help."

"But," Akihiko shook his head, "is HE okay with it?"

"Actually," Ken smiled at the boxer, "I asked to join. I believe I can be of some assistance… Now, I finally know why I was given this power."

Minato tensed as the Reaper returned. _Ken,_ he thought with a frown. _That's not what that power is meant for. In fact, I'm still not certain about my own reason to fight._ The blue-haired boy glared at Ikutsuki.

 _My, such obvious scorn…_ The man smirked at the SEES field leader. "So, as you can see, it was his own decision."

"Nice to meet you all," Ken bowed. "I'll try not to get in anyone's way."

Hamuko noticed her brother and Ikutsuki staring at each other, but decided to leave it alone. _No point in making myself a target for him,_ she thought as she smirked at Ken. "Ready for the wringer?" she winked.

The elementary schoolboy straightened up nervously. "Y-yep! Please don't hold back!"

Akihiko only frowned but Junpei smirked at the young boy. "Hey, don't worry kid. We got your back. It may be hard at times, but stick with it."

"Yes, got it!" Ken nodded.

The rest of the team welcomed the young boy, but Minato remained in his seat. Ikutsuki approached his side and watched everybody else with him. "Is something on your mind, Minato?"

"I don't think this is a good idea," he plainly responded.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust you," the boy outright answered.

"You really are a Shirogane," Ikutsuki sighed. "You know, it's a shame about your parents. You wouldn't want to meet their fate, would you?" he darkly joked.

"You won't do anything to me," Minato knowingly said. "Nothing you directly do means much to me after all. That's why you had Aigis, Koro, and Ken join."

"Smart boy," the man complimented him. "Your caution tells me a lot, you know? You have nothing on me."

The junior tensed up as laughter echoed within his ears. "No, I don't."

"The end is nigh," Ikutsuki nodded. "Perhaps you'll be there to see it."

 _The end?_ Minato paused as the man inadvertently gave him a clue. Not revealing his newfound hand, the blue-eyed boy glared up at the Chairman. "I don't know what you're after, but I'll keep going for now."

"That's right," the Chairman lightly laughed. "There are still Shadows to face and you wouldn't want to let the entire team down now, would you, Leader?"

Minato said nothing as he looked back to his team. Hamuko noticed the two by themselves and smiled at them. "Nii-san, shouldn't you be welcoming Ken-kun, too?"

Ikutsuki nodded. "Well, it's about time I left. Please look after them well, Leader," he smirked as he exited the command room.

 _You snake,_ the blue-haired boy thought as he stood up. He sternly looked towards Ken. "If you're sure about joining, then I don't see any reason for us to remain here. We're heading to Tartarus tonight, everyone. Get ready."

"Y-yes, sir!" Ken nodded at the older boy in determination. "I'll do my best!"

* * *

~29 AUGUST 2009~

Junpei sighed as he stared at his phone. "Man, this year's going fast. It's already second semester. Next year, I'll be a senior…" He paused when he noticed someone familiar sitting on the bench. "Huh? That girl…" He absently approached her and watched as she glared up at him.

"You again?"

The capped junior nervously smiled. "Uh, w-well… I mean, I'm surprised you remember me."

"Same here…" she paused.

"Well, you kinda stand out in that dress…" Junpei pointed at her white ruffled dress. She ignored him and went back to her drawing. "So… What are you drawing?"

"Nothing," she answered, trying her best to ignore him. Seeing as he wasn't leaving, she curiously glanced up at the boy. "Why?"

"Uhh, no reason…" Junpei shrugged. "I was just thinking, it must be nice to have something you're really into."

"It's no big deal…" the girl looked back down at her sketchbook. "I only draw because I like to."

"Oh, yeah?" the boy's eyes widened in curiosity. He smiled as he decided to leave her alone. "Still, I'd like to see it when you're done, okay?" He smirked to himself when the girl didn't raise any objection to his last request. _Wait until I tell…_ He paused when he remembered Minato's stern worry. _Nah… He wouldn't get it… It's not like he's interested in…_ He paused when he noticed his blue-haired friend heading into the movie theater with Fuuka. _Huh… I guess he would._

* * *

Fuuka's eyes shone in awe as she left the theater with Minato. "Wow… That was amazing… I wonder if our civilization will ever advance that far…" She smiled at the blue-haired boy. "Did you see that iron!? It got rid of wrinkles on their clothes in half a second…" She paused to consider the actual science behind it. "To get that much heat out of an iron so quickly, you'd probably have to keep it charged… Though it wouldn't have to be with electricity… It could be a gas hybrid…" She frowned. "Or maybe they have a totally new energy source… but how would they power the iron with it?" She stopped talking for a while and let out a gasp, before a blush appeared on her face. "S-sorry! The movie got me all excited, so… I got carried away thinking about it. Let's see another movie together sometime, Minato-kun." She waited for the boy to respond, but noticed he was lost in thought. "Minato-kun?" Worried he wasn't having fun, she reached for his hand. "Did you not enjoy the movie?"

Minato blinked. "Oh… Sorry about that." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I really enjoyed the movies. The automated homes were really cool." He brought his free hand to his mouth as he considered something. "I appreciate the world they were trying to portray but the plot itself wasn't very good. It was too predictable since the way they set up the reactors in each home weren't regulated well. Also, they never did explain what powered the entire city, did they? That was a major plot hole they left…" he lightly chuckled.

The teal-haired girl immediately recognized that he was distracting her from something on his mind. "Minato-kun, is something bothering you?"

The boy blinked a few times before sighing. "Sorry… I really did enjoy watching the movies with you, but I was thinking about something else as we came out."

"Does it have to do with your Reapers?" Fuuka asked in concern.

Minato smiled at her. "A little," he nodded. "I'm worried about Ken joining. The team keeps getting bigger and I'm a bit scared I won't be able to protect everyone."

"Minato-kun, you're doing fine," the girl reassured him. "I'm always watching you, so I know. We only have four Shadows left. I'm sure we'll succeed."

"About that…" Minato frowned. _With each Full Moon we face, I feel more and more uneasy… Why is that? It feels like a trap, but by who? It can't be the Shadows… Strega? Ikutsuki? Everyone expects me to be in charge but can I really live up to their expectations as leader?_

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka studied his expression. She wanted to say something to put him at ease, but she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Fuuka?"

The brown-eyed girl turned and noticed her father frowning at her. "Father?" Realizing she was still holding Minato's hand, she quickly let go.

It took the boy a few seconds to realize what was going on, but he quickly faced the man. "Yamagishi-san," he bowed.

The brown-haired man ignored the boy as he sternly frowned at his daughter. "It's almost the end of summer vacation, isn't it?"

"Yes," Fuuka nodded.

"You haven't been visiting your mother at all. Are your studies going well?"

"I'm sorry," the girl lowered her head. "I've been busy. My test results are good. I went up a few places," she said, hoping it would reassure the man of her progress.

"I hardly think going up from 15th in the junior class to 10th is an accomplishment," her father sternly said. "You should be doing better considering there should be fewer distractions at the dorm. Unless," he eyed the blue-haired boy beside her, "you've been wasting your time doing things other than studying…"

Fuuka quickly shook her head. "N-no, it's nothing like that!" She looked towards Minato. "Minato-kun has been helping me. He's scored the top score on the exams twice now!" She remembered she was speaking to her father and frowned. "H-he's also been helping me with cooking, photography and even tinkering…"

"So have you gotten any better at those skills then?" her father asked.

"N-not really…"

"Fuuka, you're doing great," Minato finally spoke up. "You're fine as you are. You're giving everything your best shot, after all."

"That's not good enough to produce respectable results," Mr. Yamagishi crossed his arms. "And you," he looked towards Minato. "You're the 'field leader' of SEES?"

"That's right," the blue-haired boy nodded.

"Other than that, what else have you accomplished?"

"What!?" Minato's blue eyes flickered in annoyance.

"Minato-kun is the best investigator in the Student Council," Fuuka quickly said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He also placed second in the Regional Track Tournament earlier this summer." The girl paused as she tried to recall all of his extracurricular activities. "SEES, Student Council, Track Team, Fashion Club, Photography Club, and Cooking Club… Minato-kun sure is amazing to be able to score so high on the exams on top of all his activities."

"Fuuka," Minato turned his head away, uncomfortable with the attention.

"And he has time to be helping you with your little hobbies?"

The girl paused in hesitation. Minato glared at the man. "She's doing her best!" he cried out. "What's wrong with you? You're her father, right? Can't you see she's trying her hardest to live up to your unreasonable expectations?"

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka didn't expect the boy to become so angry.

Minato paused and relaxed his clenched fists. "S-sorry," he said after a deep breath. "I was out of place…" He lowered his head. "Fuuka… I should go…" Deciding he needed time to clear his head, he looked towards the direction of Paulownia Mall. "I'm heading to Moonlight Bridge, but I'll see you back at the dorm." He bowed to his friend's father. "Please excuse me."

"Respectable brat," the brown-eyed man shook his head. "His parents should do a better job of making sure he watches his temper."

"He doesn't have parents," Fuuka said, upset her father would say such a thing when he knew nothing about the blue-haired boy.

"I'm surprised that he's so well put together then," the man grumbled, "especially when compared to you. Your mother and I didn't invest so much time and money in getting you into Gekkoukan to let you waste time. If you don't start improving your results, we'll have to reconsider your stay at the dorm. SEES might not have been the best decision after all, considering you don't seem to have changed."

"You're wrong," the girl defiantly said, surprising the man. "And I won't leave SEES. They need me." _Minato-kun needs me,_ she thought to herself. "Minato-kun might have been right," she quietly continued. "I… I might be a disappointment to you, but I'm trying my hardest at what I can do!"

"You can't score in the top five on exams. You're barely even capable of supporting yourself in the dorm without your mother and me to care for you. The only talent you have is light tinkering but that won't get you very far in life." Her father scolded her. "You have your future to consider and I have still yet to understand the importance of what you do at SEES. What exactly is the purpose of this group? Your activities aren't recorded in the news or any public records. This is just a waste of time and I have half a mind to withdraw you from this so-called club."

"You can't!" Fuuka cried out. "There are things only I can do for the team. I'm not allowed to say what, but if I leave, the entire club won't be able to continue its activities." She quickly tried to come up with something to dissuade her father. "We've done a lot to help the city. We're not in the news because our job is to operate from within the shadows. Even if you don't understand, I intend to stay." She looked towards the direction Minato walked off in. "In fact, I need to find Minato-kun and apologize. I made a promise to never leave him alone…"

"Fuuka!" Her father watched as she took off. He paused when he notice her running with her head up, instead of facing towards the ground. _I've never seen her so determined before…_ He remembered back to Minato's fiery gaze. _Minato Yuki… Because of him and SEES, did Fuuka…?_ He shook his head as he decided to return home. _A promise to never leave him alone…?_

* * *

Minato heard someone out of breath approach him as he stared out over the ocean. He slowly turned to see Fuuka. "H-hey, are you okay?" He grabbed the cold bottle of water he had set on the ground and handed it to her. "Drink this." Fuuka gave him a grateful smile as she accepted the bottle. "Did you run here all the way from Iwatodai Station?" the boy asked with a frown.

The girl blushed as she nodded. "I'm sorry if my father said something that upset you, Minato-kun."

"No, I'm sorry," he lowered his gaze. "I didn't like how he couldn't recognize your efforts. You're important to the team and I don't want you to doubt your position! I'm counting on you after all," he gave the girl a determined expression. He paused when it didn't sound right in his ears. "Er… Sorry… I'm probably only just using you in the end…"

"I don't think so," Fuuka said as she stood at his side. The two looked out towards the water. "I want to do whatever I can to help you."

"But I feel like I'm taking advantage of your kindness," Minato sighed.

"If that's the case, then I'm taking advantage of your kindness, too," Fuuka reassured him with a smile. "I'm always asking you for assistance after all."

"I barely do a thing though," Minato raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"You're by my side and that's enough," Fuuka blushed, resting her head against his arm.

"I guess I understand how you feel," the boy smiled, letting his head rest against hers. "With you always watching me, I feel more at ease."

"Minato-kun?" The teal-haired girl slightly frowned. "What you said to my father… Are you feeling burdened by SEES?"

"I don't want to let anyone down…" the boy muttered quietly.

"But you're doing your best too."

"It's not enough…"

"Minato-kun, you're expecting too much from yourself," Fuuka gently scolded him. "I know you want to keep things to yourself, but is there anything you're willing to share with me?"

The boy remained silent as he considered the things on his mind. "I don't want to fight the Shadows anymore, but I know I have to. They're the cause of The Lost and Apathy Syndrome, but I feel something unsettling within me whenever I defeat a Shadow. The more powerful the Shadow, the more agitated I become." Minato shifted a bit so that Fuuka was resting against his chest as his arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Fuuka… You said that Persona I summoned that night felt like a Shadow… I'm scared of using Orpheus… I don't want to see that Reaper Persona again…"

"I've been wondering why I haven't seen Orpheus in a while," Fuuka said as she hugged him. "Minato, you shouldn't be afraid. You told me a Persona is a manifestation of your psyche."

"I don't want to have a Reaper represent me," the boy sullenly said.

"But it would suit you," the girl softly smiled. "You're the Hellhound of Gekkoukan, after all."

"Fuuka… Koromaru's Persona is Cerberus," he lifted his head and stared at her with a blank expression.

The brown-eyed girl giggled. "Maybe you can be Hades?"

"Lord of the Underworld?" Minato considered it before shaking his head. "Hey… I don't want to be connected to the Reapers and Death in any way. It's unsettling…"

"But they're a part of you," Fuuka pointed out. "That Persona you have… We might not know its name, but it's a part of who you are. Even if you turn out to be a Reaper, you're still you. You told me so yourself during the festival."

"You're not scared to be around me?" he asked.

"No," the girl shook her head. "You're still very important to me, Minato-kun. And I'll always be by your side. I made a promise after all."

"I'm glad," Minato let out a relieved sigh. He let her go and stared towards the ocean once more. "Pretty soon, the second semester will start. We won't be able to spend a lot of time together then, but that's okay, right? You're always with me." Fuuka watched him as he placed a hand over his heart. "That goes for you too. I'll always be with you, Fuuka." Minato tilted his head to the side and gave her a gentle smile. "My dearest…"

Fuuka blushed at his actions. "M-minato-kun?" The boy was acting strangely, but it was rather cute.

Minato felt his cheeks burn up as he shook his head. "S-sorry… I didn't know where that came from." _I sounded a bit like Pharos… I couldn't help it though. Fuuka really means a lot to me._

The girl giggled and shook her head. "No, I didn't mind. You were very charming, Minato-kun. It's a different side to you that I didn't expect."

The boy smiled at that. "Yeah…" He noticed the sun was beginning to set over the water. "We should return to the dorm. Fuuka, thanks for today. I had a lot of fun going to the movies and just talking with you."

* * *

Hamuko lightly laughed as she pulled on Shinjiro's arm. "Thanks for inviting me out today," she told him. She paused as she noticed it was beginning to get late. "Hey, can we stop by somewhere before I have to go back to the dorm?"

Shinjiro looked at the girl curiously. "Sure. Where are we goin'?"

"It's a place special to me and I wanted to share it with you," the girl blushed as she lowered her gaze. She said nothing more as they left Paulownia Mall.

The older boy watched her carefully and noticed she wasn't brightly smiling. She suddenly stopped walking in the middle of Moonlight Bridge. She wordlessly stared out over the water as the sun was more than halfway set. Shinjiro leaned over the railing beside her. "So this is the place?"

"You must pass by here a lot," Hamuko softly smiled. "It's not very impressive but it's important to me."

"Is that so?" Shinjiro asked as he gazed out over the ocean.

Hamuko nodded before continuing. "Minato and I lost our parents here," she began. Shinjiro shifted his gaze towards her and patiently listened as she told him about her past. "The four of us were caught in a car accident about ten years back. I can't remember the details, but I do remember it being a huge wreck. Miraculously, nii-san came out without so much as a scratch on him, but I had been in critical for a long time. Of course I got better, but I guess the trauma of losing our parents never really left. For Minato, it was even worse because he nearly lost me too..."

"I see..." Shinjiro lowered his gaze as he thought back to his days at the orphanage with Akihiko and Miki. "What happened after that?"

"A lot," the girl wryly smiled as she thought back to her childhood. "We began experiencing the Dark Hour around that time. Minato used to freak out every night and was pretty much diagnosed with clinical depression on top of his sickly body. Because of his health, our family shuffled him around from place to place while I had been given a choice to stay with our grandpa." She clenched her fists. "But even if I was always offered a choice, I could never bear to leave nii-san's side. After all... my biggest fear is that he'll leave me." The girl frowned as she lifted her head to look up at Shinjiro. "No… My biggest fear might be that everyone will leave me… And I don't want that." She shook her head as she leaned against the boy beside her. "That's why I can't leave others alone when I can help it. It hurts…"

"Oh…" Shinjiro frowned. "Is that why you've been trying to spend time with me?"

"A little," the girl began blushing, "My main reason is because I like you…"

"You're very forward," the brunet smirked at her.

"I have to be," Hamuko said, wrapped her arms around him. "I just told you I don't like being alone… This way, I'm being honest about how I feel. Am I being selfish? If you don't want me here, I can go…"

"No, it's completely fine," Shinjiro put an arm around her. "I want to know something though. Why tell me this? Shouldn't this be something you should be sharing with your brother instead?"

"Nii-san already knows about my fears," she said, burying her face into his warm jacket. "And even if he is my most important person in the world, I can't count on him forever. Even if I end up alone, I want him to find his own happiness and not be worried about mine." She bitterly smiled as she thought of her selfless big brother. "I doubt he would ever leave me anyways, but I really want him to live his own life while doing the same myself." She looked up at the stoic teenager staring down at her. "It just so happened to turn out that my happiness involved meeting and spending time with you... It figures though," the girl wryly smirked. "I end up going for someone that's just like him…"

"I ain't like your brother," Shinjiro shook his head. "In fact, you're pretty insane to try and even come to me like this. I'm dangerous, you know?"

Hamuko studied his serious expression for a while before a sad smile appeared on her face. "Yeah... You're just like Minato... You both use harsh words to hide your pain..."

"And you don't do the same thing with that goddamn cheery smile of yours?" he countered. "It pisses me off sometimes, you know."

Hamuko lightly laughed at that but Shinjiro frowned at how hollow it sounded to his ears. "I thought you like it when I smile."

"I do," the older boy stated, turning his head away to hide his red face. "It's just... that smile of yours... Even if you're in pain, you're still happy... I just... don't get it."

"You want to know why I'm always happy?" Hamuko tightly gripped his jacket. "I'm happy because everyone else is alive with me. Even if it hurts to live sometimes, I'm still alive." She pulled herself closer to Shinjiro and the boy could feel her trembling. Whether it was out of fear, sadness, or something else, he didn't know. "People like you and Minato who only care about others... Who never care about themselves..." She was beginning to cry now, but Shinjiro let her be. "Of course you don't understand, but that's why I try so hard... I _want_ you to understand... I want you both to be happy too! I want you both to _live_!"

Shinjiro watched her cry into him in silence. Seeing her like this hurt him and he knew it was his fault. There was so much she still didn't understand about him, yet despite that, Shinjiro felt as though she could see right through him. The tall teenager had worked so hard to shut everything, including his best friend, out and yet this one persistent girl wouldn't leave him alone because it hurt her to just let him be. As much as Shinjiro had trained himself to keep everyone at a distance, he couldn't do that with Hamuko. To do so would probably break her already fragile smile and he didn't want that. But he also knew he couldn't keep letting her wasting her time on him.

"Goddamn it, Arisato," he growled as he wrapped his arms around her. "I ain't your brother." _Because if I was, I would have listened to his advice on not letting you get so close to me._ "You don't have to go so far for me," he sternly told her. "I appreciate it, but..." _I really want to return your feelings but..._ "I'll only hurt you in the end..." his voice broke into a rough whisper as he tightly held Hamuko close to his chest.

Hamuko managed to stop sobbing as she clung to him just a moment longer. She firmly pressed her head against him so she could listen to his heart beating. So used to listening to her brother's weak rhythm, she found Shinjiro's to be louder and faster. "You really are kind, Shinjiro-san," she finally spoke up, "but you have to already know that I still won't give up on you..."

"God...damn it... Hamuko..." Shinjiro felt his resistance against her weakening even further, but he stubbornly held on.

Hamuko could sense he was reaching his limit and decided she shouldn't push him any more. Years of experience with dealing with Minato taught her that sometimes she had to let things go. Too much would just hurt them both in the end and she wanted Shinjiro to open up to her on his own accord. Dealing with Minato required force, but for Shinjiro, she needed patience. She had already told the older boy everything she wanted him to hear and he had listened, taking it all in. He neither accepted nor denied her rather blunt confession but that was enough for now. There was nothing else she could do besides wait.

Still, that didn't stop her from lightly prodding him towards the outcome she wanted. "You might feel like I'm pushing you around, but I know deep down, you like my company," she teasingly stated, hearing his heart beating even faster. "That's why you've been calling me for the past few days, right?"

The brunet felt his face burn as he sensed she was getting back to her upbeat self. "I'm just worried about the dorm, that's all," he tried to say as an excuse.

"If that's true, you could always return to SEES," the red-eyed girl pointed out, finally letting go of him. She didn't move though since Shinjiro was still holding onto her. She could feel his body tense up as he considered how to respond.

"I can't," the boy hesitantly stated. "I ain't ever going back…"

"You won't tell me why," Hamuko frowned.

"Sorry, but it's not something I can simply share," Shinjiro sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, it has nothing to do with you. It's just that getting you involved would just make things even more complicated. That's why I'm tellin' you to leave me be." He reluctantly let go of her and took a step back. "Your second semester is starting soon anyways."

Hamuko looked down, disappointment on her face, but she had already anticipated his rejection. "Yeah… I won't have a lot of time to harass you once classes start." She studied the shadows growing on the ground. "I'd better get going…"

"Yeah…" Shinjiro frowned.

"I really would like it if you were a part of SEES," Hamuko told him as she turned towards the dormitory. "I'm not asking for Akihiko-senpai. I know I'm being selfish, but I really do like you."

The tall boy wore a small smile. "I do too…" he finally admitted to her. "But I can't afford to be selfish…" _Not after what happened back then…_

"I understand," the girl said as she began walking. "Well, goodbye, Shinjiro-san…" She did her best to not look back at the older boy.

"Bye…" Shinjiro sadly watched her leave. _I'm sorry, Hamuko…_

* * *

"Hello," Pharos smiled.

Minato opened his eyes and slowly sat up. "It's been a while, Pharos."

"I'm sorry if I haven't been visiting you," the boy chuckled. "You seemed busy. I'm glad to see you doing well though." He sat by Minato's side. "I thought I'd remind you… The next full moon will be in one week. Are you ready…? Only a few trials remain… So, be careful."

The blue-haired boy nodded. "So I have to keep fighting until the end," he said. The teenager felt relief fill his body.

Pharos only gave him a smile as he disappeared. "I look forward to seeing you again."

* * *

~31 AUGUST 2009~

Junpei smiled when he spotted the girl in the white dress again. "So, we meet again, huh?"

"That's because you keep coming back," the girl frowned at him.

"I'm Junpei," he introduced himself, used to her tone of voice. "What's your name? You live around here?" The girl ignored him and finished her drawing. Closing her sketchbook, she got up to leave, but the capped boy's eyes widened when he saw blood. "Hey, wait! Your hand…" She continued to ignore him so Junpei purposefully stood in her way. "I said, 'Wait'! You're hurt!"

The girl looked up at him as if he were crazy. "What is it with you!? Why don't you mind your own business!?"

"But, you're bleeding, for cryin' out loud!" Junpei grabbed her hand. "C'mon, show me your hand. You need to put some pressure on it." He recalled the various tips Hamuko told him whenever they were injured in Tartarus.

"Why are you in such a panic?" the girl asked him, confused.

"Are you crazy?" Junpei shook his head. "Anyone would freak out over this. You need to see a doctor." He paused as he looked up at her. "You want me to go with you?"

She stared at his face before simply saying, "You're weird." She took her hand back from the capped boy and began to leave again. She stopped as she considered something. "Chidori," she said to him.

"Huh?"

"That's my name. You asked, right, Junpei?" She looked down at her sketchpad. "I'm almost done with the picture. I doubt you'll understand it, but if you want to see it, then you know where to find me."

Junpei crossed his arms when she was gone. "I'm the weird one?" he asked himself. He wore a soft smile though. _I know you're just looking out for me, Minato, but I can't just leave her alone. Chidori, huh?_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Minato looked up from his assigned novel when Junpei let out a cry of despair. "I completely forgot about my homework!" the capped boy yelled as he collapsed to his knees.

The blue-eyed boy stared at him before returning to his book. "We've been reminding you twice a day. I don't think you forgot. It's more like you neglected it," he said.

"There's still time to finish," Hamuko smiled at her friend. "If you start right now and stay up all night, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Really?" Junpei looked up at the girl hopefully.

"Maybe," the red-eyed girl shrugged. "I began mine yesterday and I'm halfway done."

Her older brother frowned at the girl. "You procrastinated too?"

"I work well under pressure," she smiled at him.

Yukari sighed. "I don't know how you do it, Hamuko…" She shook her head at the desperate boy on the ground. "If you're gonna complain, you might as well start on your assignments."

"We can help if you like," Fuuka offered.

Junpei brightened up at that. "Three cute girls helping me on my homework?"

"Four," Hamuko stuck her tongue out at her brother. "You forgot to count Minato."

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want my help," Minato said, turning a page. "Although at this point, Fuuka and I are the only ones available to help him."

Junpei smirked as he got up. He stood behind their leader and pulled his cheeks. "Psst, dude. Lemme copy your answers."

Minato considered it. "500 yen per page," he said, swatting the other boy's hands away from his face.

"What!?" The capped boy shook his head.

"Take it or leave it," the blue-haired boy sighed, turning another page.

"Dude, I'm broke," Junpei sighed. "Fine, I'll just do it myself."

"Good," Minato nodded. "By the way, if you slack off, I'm not letting you up Tartarus."

"Come on!"

"It's called incentive," the leader frowned as he glanced up at Yukari and Hamuko too. "That goes for you two as well. Now get to work."

"Wow… So strict," Yukari nervously chuckled.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** My work ethic is very weird. I tend to do things early, but because I finish sooner, I get bored afterwards because there's nothing left for me to do. But I don't like to procrastinate because there's no reason for me to stall out the inevitable. I procrastinate sometimes, but due to my natural luck, things more or less work out in my favor. It's mainly just a timing problem I have since I tend to overestimate how much time I need to work on something, hence me being bored when I have lots of free time for finishing things early... But anyways, Junpei and Chidori's romance thing. The setup of it was really bad in the movie... And even in the game, I didn't think it was romantic overall... It gave me a 'Romeo and Juliet' sort of vibe and I guess objectively that's romantic, but personally... I don't really like tragedies... Well... that's sort of a lie since I'm a masochist... I guess that's why I went for Shinjiro too... Um... By the way, publishing might be weird for tomorrow and Thursday since I'll be busy with some life stuff. If I don't put up a new chapter on those days, expect up to three chapters on Friday.


	29. Second Semester, Start

**Author's Notes:** So a shorter chapter compared to previous ones. I have time now so gonna upload this. Tomorrow either expect a really late upload or none at all. I'll make it up on Friday though. Whee... Academic testing... Grh...

* * *

~1 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Junpei sighed too his best friend. "Man, I can't believe summer vacation's over."

"Yeah," Hamuko shook her head. "So much for summer romance, huh, Junpei? I can't believe Minato got a girlfriend before we could find someone for ourselves."

Minato blinked at the two. "I don't have a girlfriend," he frowned.

Junpei groaned. "Man, he's completely clueless about dating and stuff too." He perked up. "I did meet someone over the summer though. She's pretty cool. I mean I only spoke to her and stuff and didn't really take her out, but that's a start, right?"

"I'm glad for you, Junpei," Hamuko smiled. "I did the same thing for a guy I have a crush on."

"You're pretty open about that, Hamuko," the capped boy looked at her in surprise. He smirked at Minato. "Not like your brother who has a girl but can't admit it."

"Seriously, I'm not dating anyone," Minato frowned. He glanced at the two juniors. "So… any chances I know who you both are attempting to see?"

"You should know by now, nii-san," Hamuko pouted.

Junpei curiously looked at the brunette. "Do I know him?"

"She's only using you to set up a joke, Junpei," Minato plainly stared at him.

"It's a secret!" Hamuko said in a singsong voice. She gave the blue-haired boy a light smack to the head. "Thanks for ruining that, nii-san."

"Told you," the older twin sighed.

"But seriously," Hamuko turned to Junpei, "if I told you who it was, you'd be surprised. You've met him only twice, I think." She frowned as she remembered the last time she saw Shinjiro.

"How about you, Junpei?" Minato asked.

"You guys don't know her," Junpei shrugged. "She hangs out around Port Island Station's benches though."

Minato blinked at the two. "Hey… I'm getting a really bad feeling about who both of you are pursuing," he sternly told them.

"Dude, so you know who I'm talking about?" Junpei blinked at him.

"If I'm guessing correctly, I think I do know," the blue-haired boy crossed his arms. "Junpei, she's dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt. Hamuko, same thing goes for you. He's just going to let you down in the end."

"Nii-san, that's not fair," his younger sister pouted. "You won't even give us the reason why you think so…"

"Yeah, man, what's up with that?" Junpei stared at Minato oddly.

"It's just a gut feeling I have…" Minato frowned. "I'm an older brother so I worry. The two of you should at least try to be careful."

"Nii-san, you might be the oldest junior at the dorm, but you're only my older brother," Hamuko pointed out.

Junpei frowned at the two of them. "Wait… When are your birthdays again?"

"April 4th," Minato replied as his frown became a scowl. _The fourth day of the fourth month… The number of Death…_

"Oh, so you both are 17 already," Junpei whistled. "I guess I'm the youngest junior since I was born January 1993."

"You're changing the subject," the older boy shook his head.

"Hey, come on, dude," the capped boy smirked at him. "Have a little faith in us. We appreciate your worrying, but we'll be fine."

"Besides," Hamuko added, "I… already made an arrangement to stop meeting with him…"

"Huh?" Minato looked at his sister in concern. "You did? But…" He shook his head. "That's for the best, Hamuko…" He eyed Junpei carefully. "I guess I only have to worry about you then."

"Dude, if anything happens, you'll be the first to know," Junpei smirked as he opened the door to the dorm.

"I better be," the blue-haired leader sternly looked at the two juniors before noticing Yukari and Ken in the lounge. Both of them were fidgeting nervously so he stared at them suspiciously. "Okay, what do I have to deal with now?"

Yukari looked up as she noticed them come in. "Oh, you're back. Perfect timing."

Junpei raised an eyebrow at them as he closed the door behind him. "Perfect timing…?

"You'll see," Yukari replied. She called out to the teal-haired girl coming down the stairs. "Hey, Fuuka, is Aigis ready?"

"Ready for what?" Junpei curiously turned his head towards Fuuka.

The brown-eyed junior led Aigis down the stairs and Minato crossed his arms as he noticed the robot was wearing the Gekkoukan winter uniform. "Oh no…"

Fuuka shyly revealed the blonde robot. "H-how does she look?"

"This is how I look," Aigis said, confused by the idiom.

Hamuko smirked. "Are you cosplaying!?" she asked in excitement.

Aigis, not knowing the definition of the term, nodded. "Yes, I am cosplaying."

"N-no you're not, Aigis!" Fuuka exclaimed, resulting in Hamuko laughing.

Minato looked over to Yukari expectantly and the brunette sighed. "She said she wanted to go to school, so I said something to Mitsuru-senpai as a joke… But, the Chairman overheard and thought it was a good idea. So as of tomorrow, she'll be a junior."

The blue-haired boy clicked his tongue in annoyance. _Of course she'd be a junior… Let's just find more ways to bind me, Ikutsuki, you bastard…_

Junpei's eyes widened as he studied Aigis in the uniform. "Seriously!? He's down with that?"

Fuuka nodded. "He said something about studying her behavior in a social environment…"

"Well," Junpei smirked. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a great idea… Just look at how cute she is in that uniform!"

"The camouflage Fuuka-san has provided me with seems to be the appropriate size," Aigis nodded.

"It looks very natural on you," Ken complimented her. "No one will suspect a thing. But, why does he want you to go to school? It's not like there's anything special about it."

"I can come up with a few good reasons," Minato muttered, mainly to himself, as he frowned at the robot.

Aigis stared at Minato as she answered the young boy. "With the commencement of the second semester, I intend to synchronize my schedule with the other members'. If I were to remain here on standby, it could delay our deployment. Therefore, I request to accompany our squad leader."

"And there we go," Minato sighed. "Please don't be a burden on me, Aigis. I have enough to deal with without having to babysit you too."

"But I am not a baby," Aigis stared at him in confusion. "And it is my duty to protect you."

"I mean…" The blue-haired boy groaned. "Never mind…"

Yukari frowned at the blonde. "Delay our deployment? Won't you going to school create more problems?"

"I will make any necessary adjustments as problems arise," Aigis told her.

"Uhh…" Yukari stared at her dubiously. "Yeah, you do that…"

Hamuko laughed. "Well, I'm sure things'll be fine. Ai-chan, you can hang out with me at school. If people see you stalking nii-san, he'll get more unnecessary rumors."

Koromaru barked and Aigis looked at the red-eyed girl. "He said, 'I want to go to school, too'."

"Sorry, Koro-chan…" Yukari sighed. "You have to stay here."

The albino dog whimpered and Minato shared his sentiments. "Honestly, Koromaru going would create far less problems than Aigis…"

"Nii-san, be nice," Hamuko scolded him with a smile.

Fuuka giggled. "Class 2-F will be livelier with Aigis around."

"Yeah!" Junpei cheered. "You're so lucky to have your own robot bodyguard, Minato!"

"I don't need a robot bodyguard!" their leader cried.

* * *

~2 SEPTEMBER 2009~

"Please wake up," Aigis said to a sleeping Minato. She glanced at the time and fired a plastic warning shot near the boy's face.

"What the—!?" The sound of a gun firing shocked the boy awake and he blinked at the bullet that nearly grazed him. "Aigis!? Get out of my room!" He threw his pillow at the robot. "I told you before! You're not allowed in here!"

"You appear upset," the blonde robot stared at him.

"Out!" Minato stood up and pushed her out the door. "Hamuko!" he called out to the girl coming down the stairs. "Keep her away from me!" He quickly slammed the door. As he picked up his pillow from the ground, he screamed into it.

"Come on, Ai-chan," Hamuko sighed as she could barely make out his muffled screams. "Nii-san needs to change and get ready."

Minato frowned as Aigis accompanied them on their way to school. As they reached the school gate, Aigis paused to stare at the large building. "I see," she said. "This must be Tartarus during the daytime."

"That's right," Hamuko smiled.

The blonde scanned the students walking past them. "Currently, I detect no Shadows in the vicinity. However, we must remain cautious at all times."

"It's a school," Minato sighed, pulling both girls along with him.

"I see," Aigis nodded. "I shall record that in my memory bank."

"Aigis, if you want to avoid suspicion, you can't refer to anything regarding your memory banks, processing power, power output, et cetera, et cetera," Minato told her. "Do you understand? That's an order."

"Understood."

"Good. Hamuko, take over from here. It looks like Bebe is having problems with Ekoda," Minato shook his head as he approached their foreign friend.

"Come along, Ai-chan," the younger twin smirked. Hamuko quickly brought her to their classroom and spoke with Toriumi. "Sensei! This is the new student from my dorm."

"Thank you, Hamuko. You can take your seat and I'll handle the rest."

"Aigis, make sure you listen and do as Ms. Toriumi says. She's in charge of our class," Hamuko sternly told the robot.

"Understood," the blonde nodded.

Minato carefully stepped into the classroom and sighed in relief that nothing was in shambles. He was about to take his usual seat, but Toriumi called out to the class to get their attention. Class technically didn't start until a few more minutes and Minato had a bad feeling about this.

"Class, we have a new student who will be joining us. She just transferred here." Toriumi looked to Aigis. "Please introduce yourself."

"My name is Aigis," the girl said with a bow. "I am pleased to meet you all."

"Aigis…" Toriumi frowned. "What a strange name… I wonder if she was born overseas. Let's see… Anything else I should know…?" The teacher opened the folder Hamuko had handed her. "Hm? Humanoid tactical weapon? What on Earth…? Clearly, that's a mistake." She closed the file and shook her head. "It just goes to show, you can't believe everything you read." She turned to the rest of the class. "We're shuffling seats today, so everybody up."

"Um, Ms. Toriumi," Junpei frowned. "A few guys aren't here yet and I think some are playin' hookey."

"Which mean they're not here and won't be able to choose their seats," Toriumi said, dismissing the capped boy's concerns. "You can sit anywhere, but you can't sit in the same seat you had previously or next to the same person."

"Damn…" Junpei muttered as he picked up his bag.

Aigis was a bit slow to find a seat, but once the class settled, there was an available seat right next to Minato, directly behind Hamuko. Toriumi noticed the open seat and pointed to it. "That seat should be fine, Aigis."

The robot studied the seat and nodded. "This spot will be perfect… Because I wish to always be by his side."

Minato's face went red. "H-hey!"

"Aigis!" Yukari stood up.

Aigis blinked at Yukari. "Is there a problem?" Hamuko quietly laughed to herself and the robot turned to her too. "My highest priority is to also be with her at all times," Aigis nodded.

"Really, Aigis!?" Yukari shook her head.

Behind Yukari a classmate stared at the archer. "Um, Yukari, why're you standing up?"

Embarrassed, she took her seat and sighed. "Not off to a great start…" _And I'm stuck sitting next to Junpei again…_

Toriumi stared at the motley group of five. "My, aren't we full of drama today? Do me a favor and save the antics for after school."

Hamuko put her head down as she tried to contain her laughter. Aigis stared blankly ahead as Minato sank into his new seat. Junpei shook his head and pulled his cap down, trying to hide his secondhand embarrassment. Yukari shook her head as she let out another sigh. "Sheesh…"

* * *

"Did you check your texts at lunch?" Minato asked Hamuko once class ended for the day.

"No," Hamuko shook her head. "Why?"

"Akihiko-san sent me something and I want to check if you're coming too."

Hamuko flipped out her phone and noticed the boxer sent her a message. _"I have something important to take care of after school. I want you to come. I'll be waiting by the gate. Meet me there."_

"Yeah, I guess I'm coming."

"Should I accompany you?" Aigis stood up behind her.

"No, go back to the dorm, Aigis," Minato sternly ordered her. "Akihiko-san asked for us and having you around would bring us trouble."

"Sorry, Ai-chan," Hamuko gave her an apologetic smile. "We'll be back soon though, so don't worry."

The twins quickly departed and found an annoyed Akihiko waiting at the school gate. "There you both are," he said as he spotted them. "There's something I have to do, and I want you to come with me."

"Alright," Minato said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Where to?" Hamuko asked.

"We're going to get someone," the senior said with a serious smirk. "An old member."

Hamuko's eyes widened. _Shinjiro-san?_ She looked towards her brother, but he remained indifferent. Hamuko returned her attention to Akihiko and noticed he was carrying a small suitcase. _An Evoker?_

Akihiko led them to Hagakure and the three waited until a familiar tall teenager came out, glaring at them. "You're getting on my nerves!" Shinjiro snapped at the boxer.

"The situation has changed," Akihiko responded seriously. "Sorry, but this time, I'm not asking."

"What?" Shinjiro looked between the twins. Minato coolly stared at him, while Hamuko gave him a confused frown.

"This belongs to you," Akihiko said, shoving the suitcase into the taller boy. Shinjiro stared at it distastefully, but the white-haired boy continued. "We have a new enemy. They're Persona-users, like us."

Shinjiro looked over to Minato. "Yeah, so what?"

"There's more," the boxer shook his head. "Ken Amada has joined our team."

This made the boy's steel eyes widen in shock. Minato blinked when the other half of the retribution Reaper appeared. _What!? Ken wants to kill Shinjiro-san?_

Shinjiro glared at Akihiko. "What the hell are you talking about!?"

"He has the potential," Akihiko explained, "and Ikutsuki-san has okayed it. He's now a Persona-user."

Shinjiro turned back to Minato and saw the younger boy's knowing frown. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered. "Let me ask you one thing… Was it his decision to join SEES?"

"Yeah," the senior nodded. "He volunteered."

"I see," Shinjiro frowned. "Then, count me in." He looked towards the twins. "So, you're the ones leading the operations now, huh?" He stared them both in the eyes. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?"

The two faltered slightly. _For my own sake…_ Minato grit his teeth. _But…_

 _I don't really know_ , Hamuko frowned. _But…_

The two simultaneously returned their gaze and gave the older boy a determined expression. "To protect someone." They both paused before giving each other a smile.

"Is that so?" Shinjiro studied the twins carefully. _Yeah… Even if things around them fall apart, they'll still have each other._ "Well, you do your thing; I'll do mine." He looked back towards Akihiko. "Is my room still vacant?"

"Yeah," the boxer nodded.

Shinjiro smirked at Hamuko. "Sheesh… Another girl? First Mitsuru and now her…"

Minato tilted his head to the side and frowned at the senior. _That look… Don't tell me he…_ He glanced towards Hamuko and saw her blushing. Minato bit his tongue to keep silent.

"So what?" Akihiko frowned at the tall boy. "She might be a girl, but she's one hell of a—"

"That ain't my point, numbskull," Shinjiro said, lowering the case into a more comfortable carrying position. "I'm saying you gotta keep an eye out for her. Honestly…" He looked over towards Minato. "And she's your sister, right? You need to take care of her too." He paused when he noticed the younger boy's glare. _Yeah… I'm sorry, Minato… Hamuko…_

* * *

~4 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Junpei smiled as he approached Chidori. "Yo, Chidori. How's your hand?" She absently raised her hand and he saw that the wound was completely gone. "Huh? I don't see anything… not even a scar… Did it heal that quickly?"

"Hey, Junpei…" Chidori studied the boy carefully. "What do you do to make yourself feel alive?"

The capped boy paused. "Uh, I dunno…" He didn't expect a question like that so he tried to make a joke. "Breathing, I guess?" He chuckled as it wasn't that good. "Y'know, I never really thought about it before. How 'bout you, Chidori? Is that why you draw?"

"Maybe…" Chidori glanced down at her sketchpad. "But, most of these are just scribbles… I don't understand myself very well."

"I see," Junpei nodded. "Mind if I sit here?" The girl offered him some space and he sat down beside her. "To tell ya the truth, there is one thing that makes me feel alive…" He smirked as he thought of the Shadows and Tartarus. "When I get to play hero." Chidori looked at him in confusion. This made the boy turn on his theatrics. "In the darkest hour, unknown to all but a few, the chosen ones stand against the forces of evil!" He raised a hand and pointed at the sky. "Our hero, Junpei, fights to protect the world from these terrifying monsters!" He stood back up and chuckled some more. "Well, you get the idea. That's when I feel most alive!" She didn't respond and Junpei felt like an idiot. "Um... You're s'posed to laugh."

"So…" Chidori looked up at him. "Do you fight all alone…?"

"H-hey," Junpei's eyes widened. "I was just kiddin' around…"

"You fight during a time that no one knows about, right?" Chidori asked. "So then, no one knows what you've been doing, either. That means you'll never receive any recognition… I'm impressed. I didn't know you're that kind of guy."

Junpei continued to stare at her in surprise. "For real? You actually believe me?"

"Tell me more…" Chidori looked at him expectantly.

Against his better judgment, Junpei nodded and gave her a smirk. "You really wanna know? Okay, but don't tell anyone, alright? Ya see, there's this special power called 'Persona', and only those who have it can defeat the monsters. That's why I meant by 'the chosen ones'. My friends are fighting too… And ever since I joined 'em, we've been kicking some serious ass!"

"Sounds like fun," Chidori nodded. "Are you the leader? Because it sounds like you're pretty strong."

Junpei felt a twinge of jealousy towards his blue-haired friend. _Crap… No, Junpei… Remember what Hamuko said. Minato's himself, and I'm me… But… he wouldn't mind if I twisted the truth a bit, right? He doesn't really care since he doesn't like the spotlight._ "Y-yeah… I-I guess you could say that." Junpei put on a confident smile. "I mean, without me, things would just fall apart," he bluffed. "Someone's gotta be in charge, after all." He inwardly frowned at himself. _Yeah… It falls to those with the 'gift'…_ "It's pretty tough being a leader," he said, faltering a bit. _Man… I feel like crap… I'm sorry, Minato…_

Chidori didn't say anything but after a while, she closed her sketchbook. She stood up as she prepared to leave. "Thank you, Junpei… I had fun today."

"Y-you did?" the capped boy asked in surprise.

"It's time for me to go," she said, nodding. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

She left and Junpei felt his smile return. He chuckled to himself. "Tomorrow, huh? All right!" He paused as he remembered something. _Wait… Isn't tomorrow a Full Moon?_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

With all of the rooms of the dorm completely filled, Minato found the lounge to be quite the hectic common area. Of course, it could get noisy at times, but every member usually did their own thing during the evenings. It was actually a nice feeling when everyone gathered together. The atmosphere was enjoyable and Minato loved being able to look up to check on how his team was faring for that day.

That being said, Minato tapped his pencil on the table as he stared at the strange 'family' that made up SEES. _Mom's reading a novel as usual,_ Minato thought as his eyes wandered towards Mitsuru. _Dad's taking a nap after reading the paper,_ he smirked as Akihiko was passed out on the couch. _Uncle Shinjiro is making dinner for… anyone who wants it, I think. Koromaru is begging for scraps while he's at it. And we have the kids…_

Minato watched as Ken, Junpei, and Hamuko were watching the newest episode of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. Hamuko ended up dragging Yukari into the living room with them and the archer soon became engrossed with the popular children's show. The blue-haired boy would have joined them, but he and Fuuka had to help Aigis with literature homework.

"Huh…" Minato frowned at the strange family dynamic.

"Is something wrong, Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked him, looking up from explaining to Aigis what a metaphor was.

"Nothing… Just a thought I had," he said.

Hamuko looked over to him and noticed the wistful expression on his face. The boy glanced at her and the two shared a smile. The red-eyed girl turned back to the television set and watched as Feather Hawk gave a cheesy one-liner as the team defeated the episode villain. She chuckled to herself as she had a thought. _I wonder if this is how our family would have been if the accident never happened…_

"Aigis, that's my fourth pencil," Minato sighed as he tossed the broken writing implement into the garbage.

 _I guess not,_ Hamuko smirked. _We really are a strange bunch, but I wouldn't have it any other way._

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Huh... The chapter was a lot shorter than I thought... Makes sense since it only covered 11 pages in Microsoft Word... Had to break it here though because the next chapter is an Operation. So the thing about April 4th... I had to pick a date that was early enough in the school year that properly fit them into the junior class. I'm kinda picky about this sort of thing because I have a pretty late birthday so I tend to be the youngest of my friends since I barely made the age cutoff... I thought it would be appropriate for them to be born in March or April, but checking the cutoff date for schooling in Japan, it's April 1st. Picking March would put them into the senior class. From there, I had to pick the number of death for their actual birthday, because I like irony. I didn't expect Junpei to be the youngest junior though... I kinda thought Fuuka was since her birthday is in December. I always imagined Junpei being more of a summer or fall baby too... Really surprising...


	30. Hamuko's Lonely Fears

**Author's Notes:** And a late upload it is. Whew... I'm tired... But I'm in a decent mood so might as well get this up now. Gonna probably put a chapter up tomorrow morning as well and afterwards... we'll see... I need to double check where I'm at in FES. For now though, I finally start to focus a little more on Hamuko. I know it's not much, but... it's a start. I can't help my bias towards Minato...

* * *

~5 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato smiled and nodded to Fuuka as he caught up to her. "Morning, Fuuka."

Her face brightened when he reached her side. "Good morning!" She paused as she looked to the sky. "There's a full moon tonight."

As a joke, the blue-haired boy gave her a serious frown. "I'm worried."

"No...!" the girl looked at him in alarm. "Don't let your guard down because summer vacation was too long, okay!?"

Minato lightly laughed as he brought her hand to his lips. "I'm only kidding. I just wanted to see your cute reaction. I know we'll be fine."

Fuuka blushed as he gently let her hand go. "That's nice to hear…" she sighed in relief. "I was getting worried because it's so soon after summer vacation."

"That shouldn't be a problem," the leader sternly said. "Vacation or not, we're still responsible for the wellbeing of Iwatodai."

"You're being very serious," the girl noted.

The boy paused. "Am I?" He frowned to himself. "With only four Shadows left, I think I'm being impatient. Finally, the Dark Hour will come to an end and with it, maybe the Reapers." They started walking again.

"Minato-kun," Fuuka stared at him with worry. "Will you really be okay with that?"

His blue eyes met girl's brown ones. "Fuuka, I just want to live peacefully. I don't want Death always hanging around me."

"But seeing them gave you the ability to save others around you," she said. "I'm sorry I can't really understand your fears, but despite what you feel, I think you're very courageous. It was thanks to your Reapers that you saved me after all."

"After I put you in danger," the boy shook his head. He wore a small smile as he opened the door for her. "I'm happy you think so highly of me, Fuuka, but eventually, I'm going to let someone down. And when I do," he looked down, "everyone will probably leave me."

"Minato-kun," Fuuka sternly frowned at him.

The boy chuckled at that. "But that's right. You'll always be by my side. My dearest…" He quickly turned away when he realized what he had just said. "Well, you and Hamuko," he added with a cough. They entered the school and quickly went up the stairs. Minato paused outside Fuuka's classroom. "Okay, after school, let's head back to the dorm. I want to get a head start on locating tonight's operation site. Because it was summer vacation, I couldn't really get a good investigation going, so I'm counting on you."

"Alright," Fuuka nodded seriously at the boy before giving him a soft smile. "I'll see you then, Minato-kun."

Minato returned her smile and nodded. He took a step towards the door to his own classroom and blinked when he sensed a faint Reaper. He quickly looked around and saw one flash behind Junpei. Frowning, he approached the boy's desk. "Junpei…"

The capped boy smiled brightly at him. "Yo, what's up, dude? Ready for tonight?"

"Are you?" the leader sternly asked him.

Junpei stopped leaning back in his seat and set his chair down on its feet. "Yeah, of course. Is something the matter?"

"Don't be distracted today," Minato nodded. "And about that girl you're seeing…" He paused as he didn't really know what to say.

"Come on, man," Junpei shook his head with a frown. "We've been over this before. You don't have to worry about it. Shouldn't you be more focused on tonight's Shadow?"

"Fine, but I'm counting on you to keep your head in the game. I sat you out last month, but if I need you tonight, I want you to be there, ready to fight." The blue-haired leader crossed his arms. "Understood?"

"Y-yeah, of course, dude," Junpei nodded. "I get it." _You're really serious about this… I promise I won't leave you hanging like I did after the Lovers Shadow… Not this time._ "You've got my word, Minato. I'll be there."

Minato noticed the determination in his friend's eyes. Satisfied with this, the leader took his seat. "Good," he simply said as he set his school bag down.

* * *

Junpei frowned to himself as he approached the dorm. "Man, she wasn't at the station today… Maybe I should check again…" He was about to turn around, but he remembered his discussion with Minato earlier that day. "Nah, on second thought, I better stay put… The operation's tonight." He paused for a moment before a thought came to him, putting a smirk on his face. "Now that I think about it… we're fighting to protect her too. Dude, that so rocks…" He triumphantly raised a fist into the air. "Maybe we really are like heroes… Yeeaahh!" He was about to reach the front steps of the dorm when he heard something behind him.

"Don't move!" a girl's voice quietly whispered to him.

Junpei stopped and looked around. "Huh?" He didn't see anything and soon, everything faded to black.

* * *

Minato impatiently looked around as Junpei was nowhere to be found. _He gave me his word,_ he thought to himself. _Where is he? Did something happen?_ He was immediately taken out of his thoughts when Ikutsuki approached Fuuka.

"Tonight marks the 6th full moon," the man frowned. "Do you detect a Shadow?"

 _"Yes…"_ Fuuka nodded. _"It's near Paulownia Mall… I think."_

"You think…?" Mitsuru frowned.

 _"For some reason, I can't quite pinpoint its location… But, I'm trying to narrow it down…"_ the navigator explained.

"We've been working all afternoon," Minato nodded. "It's been giving her trouble for a while now."

Akihiko frowned. "Is that its power?"

 _"I don't know,"_ Fuuka shook her head.

Shinjiro stood up from his seat. "We have enough to go on…"

Ken quickly returned from his search. Mitsuru looked at him expectantly. "Did you find Iori?"

The young boy shook his head. "I can't find him anywhere. His backpack isn't here, so I don't think he's been home yet."

Hamuko saw her brother tense up and she frowned. _Nii-san, do you know something?_

"That idiot…" Yukari sighed. "He knows tonight's the night!"

 _"I don't sense him anywhere nearby… Should I take more time to look for him, just in case?"_

Minato opened his mouth to speak but Ikutsuki beat him to it. "No, it's okay. You're all young; sometimes you just get in one of those moods. Anyway, we should focus on the task at hand." He smiled at the blue-haired boy glaring at him.

 _You bastard…_ Minato's eyes flashed angrily. _If anything happens to Junpei, you know it's my responsibility…_

Shinjiro noticed the exchange but said nothing. He looked over towards Mitsuru who was busy shaking her head. "We can't afford to waste any more time," the redhead said, grabbing her rapier. "Let's go."

Fuuka recalled Lucia and followed everyone out. Shinjiro waited by the door for Minato and Hamuko. "Wait…" he called to the twins. "Did he say anything earlier?"

"Not that I remember," Minato scowled.

"Alright," the older boy noticed a dangerous glow in the junior's blue eyes.

"Maybe he needs a break," Hamuko quipped.

"Yeah, maybe…" Shinjiro frowned.

"That's not it," Minato shook his head. "He gave me his word that he'd be here tonight."

"Really?" the older boy studied Minato's serious expression.

Hamuko tilted her head at the brunet. "Why, are you worried?"

"Whatever…" Shinjiro put his hands in his pockets. "Let's just get going."

"Nii-san?" The red-eyed girl turned back towards her brother.

He was glaring at Ikutsuki but he shook his head. "I don't want to leave Junpei behind, but we've got a job to do," he sighed.

The three quickly caught up to the rest of the team and waited by the large fountain of Paulownia Mall. Minato stood by Fuuka's side as she summoned Lucia. Mitsuru looked around the desolate building before asking, "Detect anything?"

 _"Only a faint presence,"_ Fuuka told them, eyes closed. She frowned as she still encountered trouble in finding the Shadow. _"It seems so close, but… why…!?"_

Minato shook away all of his distractions and placed a hand on Lucia's glass dress. "Fuuka…" he murmured in concern.

Mitsuru turned to the rest of the team. "Alright, let's split up and search for it. There's no time to lose; hurry!"

The team began to scatter but Minato refused to leave Fuuka's side. The navigator shook her head as she called out to everyone else. _"Wait! Please, give me a moment! This is my responsibility…!"_

Minato sensed the girl falter a bit and rested his forehead against Lucia. "Fuuka, it's okay. I'm right in front of you if you need me. You're not alone, okay? You can do this."

Fuuka nodded to him and focused. _"Tell me, Lucia… What is this thing that deceives me…?"_ Both teens closed their eyes and took a deep breath. _"Hear the wind's answer in your ear… Touch the earth's answer with your fingertips… Taste the water's answer on your lips…"_

"Hey," Akihiko frowned in worry. "Is she okay…?"

"Don't break her concentration," Mitsuru lightly scolded him.

Fuuka frowned as something resonated with Hamuko beneath them. _"Right beneath our feet… Some kind of… webbing…?"_

Aigis looked towards Mitsuru. "Perhaps it has something to do with the old power cables underground," she told the redhead. "They were just left there when the island's construction was completed."

"Power cables…?" the senior frowned.

"Yes," Aigis nodded. "They run underground in many directions, like a web."

Akihiko crossed his arms. "And they're interfering with her ability?"

Hamuko paused as she sensed something calling her. _The power cables?_ The girl looked to her feet and frowned. _I hear a voice…_

 _"Thank you, Aigis,"_ she told the robot with a smile. _"I understand now. Interference isn't the problem… The cables themselves have been possessed by the Shadow!"_ The teal-haired girl looked up towards Hamuko. _Why is it calling for Hamuko-chan?_

Yukari shook her head at the information. "They what…!? So… it's underneath this whole area!?"

"Now it all makes sense," Akihiko said with a nod.

"H-how are we supposed to beat something like that!?" Ken asked.

"Tch…" Shinjiro looked around. He paused when he noticed Hamuko slightly shiver. _What's goin' on with her?_

* * *

Junpei was shoved out the door and he frowned when his assailant brought him out onto the dorm roof. He struggled against the ties around his arms but found himself stuck. "Ugh…" He noticed it was already the Dark Hour and frowned to himself. _Man… Sorry, Minato… I let you down, didn't I?_

Behind him, he heard a girl speak. "I can't believe how easy it was to sneak up on you. Are the others here just as oblivious?"

"Dammit…" The capped boy clenched his teeth as he didn't have his Evoker or sword on him. "I can't use my power…" He rolled to his knees and turned towards the door. "This isn't funny… Chidori," he frowned.

"I want you to do something for me," the girl plainly stared at him. "I have new orders for you to give to your friends… Surely you have the capacity to communicate with them."

"Me?" Junpei's eyes widened. "Give orders?"

"If you do as I say…" Chidori nodded, "you won't be harmed. All you have to do is call off the mission. Easy, right? And not just the one tonight…" She frowned at the capped boy. "All of them."

"You want me to cancel the mission?" Junpei asked as something dawned on him. He lowered his gaze as his voice filled with disappointment. "You're not one of 'them', are you?"

"Quit wasting time," the girl snapped at him.

Junpei only tilted his head forward until the bill of his cap hid his eyes. _Minato… You were right… I should have figured… Man, I feel like a chump._

* * *

Mitsuru shook her head at their leader. "This is a problem… We have no means of attacking it."

Minato sighed as he apologized to the team. "I don't have enough information to work with."

 _"In your notes from previous battles, it said there was a Shadow that took control of the monorail,"_ Fuuka began. _"Just like that one, this Shadow must have its own body. Let me see if I can find it…"_

Akihiko shook his head. "Even if we know where it is, we might not be able to get to it…"

Aigis considered something. "There may still be a way to reach the structure the buried cables feed into…"

"We'll see…" Shinjiro calmly said, noticing Hamuko's pale complexion. He made his way to her side to see what was going on.

Hamuko placed a hand on her chest. _So cold… It's so lonely… It hurts…_ She felt a quiet presence approach her and without thinking she grabbed the person's jacket. She stared blankly at the thick maroon fabric in her hand. "Shinjiro-san…" she quietly whispered.

"It's alright," he reassured her. "You're fine." Shinjiro looked towards Minato. He was too busy with helping Fuuka that he didn't even notice the brunette. Shinjiro frowned at that but looking back at Hamuko, he noticed she was wearing a weak smile. He let out a sigh before stepping out in front of her and leaning down so that his face was level with hers. "Oi, cheer up. Don't forget everyone else is here too," he nodded his head towards the rest of the team.

Hamuko's red eyes stared back into his grey ones and after a while, she regained her focus. "Y-yeah," she nodded. "That's right..." Psyching herself up, she turned back towards Fuuka. "We all believe in you, Fuuka-chan!" she cheered the navigator on.

Minato looked up towards his sister in surprise before flashing her a grateful smirk. He nodded to Fuuka as he also tried to encourage her. "Everyone's here for you, so just take your time," he calmly told her.

The teal-haired girl nodded in understanding and refocused her power in scanning the area. When she finally found something, she opened her eyes and took a moment to catch her breath.

Thinking she had pushed herself too far, Yukari immediately turned towards their navigator in concern. "Fuuka…"

Fuuka smiled at the archer to reassure the team she was fine. _"I found it. It's close by… in this mall!"_

The archer's eyes widened. "In here!?"

 _"It's inside a small chamber underground,"_ Fuuka explained. _"It's rectangular, so I assume it's man-made."_

"Is it some sort of room…?" Ken asked with a frown.

"Wait a minute…" Shinjiro remembered something. "I overheard the manager of Escapade… He was saying that the power's been acting up lately… There was a power outage because of it that forced him to cancel some big, important event."

"That's no surprise…" Yukari shrugged.

Minato crossed his arms. "Are you kidding me? The reason why Hamuko and I won't be able to see Risette is because of a Shadow?" The boy felt his face go red as the team looked to him in surprise. "What?" He frowned at them.

"Anyway," Shinjiro rolled his eyes, "he said the control panel is located beneath the club." He nodded to Hamuko and smirked. "Maybe we should take a look…"

 _"That's it!"_ Fuuka exclaimed as what the brunet stated matched the location of the room she found.

"Good job, Yamagishi," Mitsuru smiled. "Alright," she turned to Minato. "Once we're ready, we'll make our move!"

The blue-haired boy looked over his team and evenly split it. "Akihiko-san, Shinjiro-san, Ken, and Hamuko. You're with me. Everyone else, stay put." Minato watched as the three boys he called out started towards Escapade. He noticed his sister trailing behind. "Hamuko?"

The girl looked to him in surprise before lifting her naginata. "Oh, right… Sorry."

 _Something's on her mind,_ Minato frowned. He looked back to Fuuka. "Keep an eye on her for me, Fuuka. It's not like her to lose focus like that."

 _"Hamuko-chan?"_ Fuuka's eyes widened, but she remembered the strange resonance her friend had with the Shadow. _"I'll do my best, Minato-kun,"_ Fuuka nodded to him.

"I'm counting on you to help me protect her then," Minato said as he caught up to his team. Minato glanced around the club and his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting. This being the first time he's visited during the Dark Hour, the boy didn't really know what to expect. He immediately spotted his target on the dance floor and his eyes narrowed. "Enemy sighted," he said into his headset.

 _"That's the source!"_ Fuuka confirmed. _"It's connected to all those cables… so be careful you don't get shocked!"_

"That's why I brought Akihiko-san," Minato nodded, looking towards the boxer. "Senpai! You and I are taking the lead! Everyone, support us from behind!"

"Roger!" Ken called out, preparing his spear.

"You better not recklessly charge ahead, Aki!" Shinjiro warned his childhood friend as he lifted his bludgeon.

"Just don't get yourself killed, Shinji!" Akihiko retorted as he prepared to get close to the Shadow.

"Let's begin!" Minato said, darting to the Shadow's side. "Fuuka! Scan now!"

 _"Understood!"_ the girl called out.

Minato lifted his Evoker and fired once Akihiko managed to land a few good punches on the Shadow. "Hanuman!" he called out. "Full Moon bonus!" he smirked as Getsu-ei tore through the large Shadow.

Shinjiro closed his eyes as a bolt of lightning dropped from the ceiling, barely missing him. He grunted as he lifted his heavy weapon and charged forward. "Aki!"

"Right! Let's go! Polydeuces!" Akihiko summoned his Persona and watched as a light enveloped the Shadow.

The brunet slammed his bludgeon into the Hermit. With the Shadow's defense lowered, the tall boy's heavy attack made it stagger. Shinjiro smirked as he rolled backwards away from their enemy.

 _"Shinjiro-san! Behind you!"_

The boy's eyes widened as the Shadow knocked him aside with its arm. Keeping track of everyone's movements, Minato noticed so he immediately called out to Ken. "Ken, Diarama now!"

The boy hesitated a moment as he stared at the taller boy. "R-right." He brought his Evoker to his head and fired. "Nemesis!"

Shinjiro regained his strength and picked up his bludgeon. "Thanks," he nodded to the boy.

Ken lowered his gaze. "It was nothing," he muttered.

 _Tch…_ Shinjiro noticed the young boy's attitude, but now wasn't the time to focus on that.

 _"Everyone, it drains electricity so avoid using Zio skills!"_ Fuuka informed them.

"Thanks, Fuuka!" The blue-eyed boy let out a roar. "Hanuman!" The monkey-like Persona swung his sword fiercely at the Shadow.

 _"The Shadow has a lot of electricity charged up…"_ Fuuka's eyes widened as she sensed a powerful attack. _"Please be careful!"_

Minato quickly lifted his sword. "Everyone, block!" he called out as he dove towards his sister. Electricity rained from the ceiling and pelted the team. Hanuman quickly took most of the shock as the older brother protectively shielded the red-eyed girl. Shinjiro grunted as he steadily blocked as much as he could. Akihiko dove over Ken and used his resistance to minimize their damage. The blue-haired boy frowned at the girl behind him as he noticed she wasn't moving as quickly as she could have been. "Hey, don't get distracted!"

"I-I won't!" Hamuko called, summoning her own Persona. "Rangda!" A burst of fire erupted from her Persona. The Hermit Shadow roared as it turned to the twins.

 _"It's casting Ziodyne!"_ Fuuka cried.

"I've got it!" Minato pushed her sister out of the way as he took the attack. "Hanuman!" The boy unleashed another Getsu-ei. "Ken, a refresher, please!" the boy gasped.

Fuuka noticed the Shadow was charging up electricity so gave the leader a timely warning. _"Apparently it has to charge up before using that one attack. Please be careful whenever you see the enemy charging!"_

"Understood!" Minato noticed the Shadow was completely open though so called out to his team. "Let's go! At the first sign of danger, make sure you guys evade and block!"

"Got it!" Akihiko rushed forward and pelted the Shadow with punches before lowering its defense with Polydeuces. "Let's go, Shinji!"

"Castor!" Shinjiro fired his Evoker and a Persona resembling Akihiko's emerged, slashing the Shadow.

"I'm not falling behind either!" Ken cried as he unleashed Nemesis' Cruel Attack.

"Good job, everyone!" Minato called out with a smirk.

Hamuko watched as her brother was able to coordinate his attacks with everyone else. _What's wrong with me?_ She frowned to herself. _Why am I being left behind?_ She brought her naginata up and slashed at the Shadow. She fired her Evoker and watched as Rangda cast another Agilao. _Nii-san… You're getting ahead of me and I don't like it…_

She winced as a sharp pain cut through her skull. _"You're… alone…"_

"Who said that?" she called out.

 _"Hamuko-chan! Get back!"_ Fuuka cried out when she noticed the Shadow aiming a Ziodyne straight for the brunette.

"Hamuko!" Minato screamed as he couldn't get to his sister in time.

The red-eyed girl screamed in pain as a surge of electricity pelted her. Rangda's weakness made it even more excruciating and she couldn't feel her body. She screamed even louder as the voice in her mind became clearer. _"He's going to leave you behind…"_ it whispered to her.

"N-nii-san…" Hamuko couldn't breathe as she collapsed to the ground.

"Hamuko!" Minato tried to get to her but the Shadow stood in his way. "Out of my way!" he angrily roared slicing at it with his sword. "Hamuko!" The Hermit refused to budge so he called out to Ken. "Cast Diarama! Now!"

 _"Hamuko-chan! Get up! You're in danger!"_ When the girl didn't respond, Fuuka turned back to Minato. _"Minato-kun! I can't get to her! The Shadow—!"_

"Hamuko!" Minato hoarsely screamed when he finally got to her side.

The red-eyed girl gasped as she heard his cry. In her mind, she saw her seven-year-old brother drag her body out of a burning car. _"Hamuko!"_ he screamed. _"Wake up! Mom! Dad!"_ She felt herself being pulled away from the wreckage.

A bright flash made the girl flinch as she mistook it for fire and she tightly reached out for the blue-haired boy. "Nii-san!" she cried.

Minato protectively held her and scowled at the Shadow. "Ken, another Diarama! Senpai! You and Shinjiro-san keep weakening it! Don't give it a chance to charge up another Giga Spark!" he commanded as he continued to drag his sister away from the fight. "And make sure it gets nowhere near us!" He turned back to his sister and knelt by her side. "Hamuko! I'm right here! Everything will be okay!"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko tightly hugged him.

"Hamuko! I have to get back into the battle!" Minato frowned as she was trembling. "I've got to protect them!"

 _"Hamuko! Mom! Dad! They're still in the car!"_ The young boy's blue eyes flashed with fear and desperation. _"I have to save them!"_

"No!" Hamuko screamed as she refused to let him go. "You can't! Don't leave me alone too!" She cried into his chest. "Mom! Dad! They're already gone! Please… Don't leave me by myself…"

 _"Minato-kun, it just finished using a Mind Charge!"_ Fuuka notified him. _"It's preparing another Giga Spark!"_

"Thanks, Fuuka. Tell everyone else to prepare for the upcoming attack!" Minato ordered. His expression softened as he hugged his sister. "Hamuko… I'm not going to leave you. I promise." He lifted her face and stared into her fearful red eyes. "Look at me," he calmly said.

Hamuko tried to focus on her brother's dark blue gaze. "N-nii-san…" The fear she expected to be in them wasn't there.

 _"Hamuko…!"_ The young blue-haired boy in her mind continued to scream. She tried to break eye contact with her older brother, but Minato held her steady.

"Look at me," he sternly repeated. "I'm right here in front of you. I'm not going to leave you alone. Mom and Dad are gone, but I'm still here. _Everyone_ is still here. I told you, if I ever get too far ahead of you, I'll come back, so please…" He leaned his head forward so that it pressed against hers. "Come back to me… You're my twin sister… And I'll always be with you. You're not alone, Hamuko." His blue eyes pierced through her. "You're _never_ alone," he said with as much conviction as he had.

 _"Minato-kun! It's unleashing its Giga Spark! Everyone, be careful!"_

Minato quickly swapped his Evoker with Hamuko's, taking Rangda for himself. The boy protectively hugged his sister as he let out a painful scream. His body went limp in Hamuko's arms as the girl barely noticed the attack hit them. She stared at him in shock as she shakily looked up at the Shadow. "N-nii-san?"

 _"It's no good! He's down!"_ Fuuka shook her head. _"Hamuko-chan! Get up! You're an open target!"_

"G-get going!" Minato ordered his younger sister as he tried to get off of her. He found it difficult to move since his entire body felt numb and tingly. "Y-you have Hanuman… Hamuko…" He collapsed to the ground beside her.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko noticed he was breathing. He was still alive. He wasn't going to leave her just yet.

The voice in her mind tried to fill her with doubt. _"He's not going to make it… Run… Take him away from here… He'll only leave you if you continue to fight…"_

"Enough!" The brunette lifted her brother's Evoker and fired. Hanuman rushed forward and sliced the Shadow angrily. "He's my brother! And I'll protect him this time!" she said, tears coming down her face.

"Aki!" Shinjiro nodded to the boxer.

"Right!" The white-haired boy fired his Evoker, casting Rakunda once more. He turned to Ken. "Help Minato!"

"On it!" Nemesis appeared to cast another healing spell.

 _"You can't be with him forever…"_ The Hermit taunted Hamuko as she dodged its arm. _"He's found his own path… One without you…"_

The girl levelly glared at the Shadow. _No… I know I can't be with him forever, but you're only preying on my fears of being left alone._ She swung her weapon up and sliced her enemy's chest. _Nii-san is a man of his word. He'll always come back for me. He might be going down a path he's found for himself, but he'll bulldoze any obstacle between us just to return to me._ Hamuko frowned as she was slightly damaged by a Zionga spell. _I might have been jealous and scared of nii-san getting ahead of me again, but he's always been at my side. Everyone else is there too for that matter,_ she thought as images of her parents flashed through her mind, _even Mom and Dad..._ _They're all here with me..._ Hamuko brought her left hand to her heart as her other hand lifted her brother's Evoker to her head. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the trigger to finish off the Hermit. "Hanuman! Getsu-ei!"

 _"Don't leave me… Sis…"_ The Shadow tried to use young Minato's voice, but Hamuko ignored it. She watched as the Hermit Arcana collapsed to the ground and shot its arm out towards her.

Shinjiro saw its last-ditch effort to attack her so slammed his bludgeon down on its arm, pinning it to the ground. "Oh no you don't," he scowled. He brought his steel eyes up towards the brunette and frowned. "So, you better now?"

Hamuko noticed the concern hidden behind his eyes. She solemnly nodded. "Yeah…" She nervously shrunk back as the taller boy approached her.

The boy rolled his eyes and lightly pressed his finger against her forehead. "Geez. You gave us a scare… Lighten up. Your brother's safe and you defeated the Shadow." He slightly tugged his beanie down over his eyes. "I don't like it when you're not happy..." he muttered, "so give me your best smile."

The girl felt a soft smile grow on her face as she blushed. "S-sorry," she meekly said. "And thanks…" _I'm not alone… Nii-san… Shinjiro-san… All of SEES… We're here together… And we're alive._

Seeing her back to her usual self, Shinjiro shook his head with a sigh. _That's better..._ With everything better, he wordlessly followed Hamuko as she quickly made her way to her fallen brother.

Minato took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling. "I'm alive?" he asked as he opened his eyes. He could faintly hear a young child scream in the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

"Yeah," Akihiko smirked at him as he helped the blue-haired boy up.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko dove into her brother and hugged him tightly.

The older twin groaned in discomfort. "Hamuko, my entire body hurts…"

The red-eyed girl reluctantly let go of him. "I'm sorry… It's my fault, isn't it? I was scared…" She began sniffling. "I didn't want you leaving me behind… Like Mom and Dad…" Hamuko let herself cry. "I'm sorry, nii-san!"

Minato raised a hand and put it on her head. "We're both Fools, aren't we?" he gently smiled at her in the way he always did whenever he wanted to make her feel better. "We're always making each other worry without realizing it…"

"Nii-san… you shouldn't joke about that," Hamuko scolded him through her sobs, causing her older brother to lightly chuckle. Wiping up her tears, she smiled back at him as she took a step back.

Akihiko and Shinjiro lifted the boy up. Minato nodded his head to the small team. "Good work, everyone." He reached up for his headset. "Fuuka, is everything clear?"

 _"Congratulations,"_ she told him. _"I no longer sense its presence."_

"All right. We're coming out now," Minato responded. He slowly made his way towards the exit with Akihiko's help.

 _"Oh, and also…"_ Fuuka hesitated a bit.

"Is something wrong?" Minato asked with a frown.

 _"I think I've found Junpei-kun,"_ she answered. _"He's back at the dorm, but something seems strange… The Chairman's there too, so he should be okay. But, let's hurry back just in case. Will you be okay until then, Minato-kun?"_

Minato opened and closed his fist. "I'll be fine. I'm getting feeling back in my limbs. Let's go." _Besides, I want to see for myself why Junpei broke his promise._

* * *

Chidori frowned when she could no longer sense the Shadow at Paulownia Mall. "It seems they've completed their mission."

Junpei stared at her with wide eyes. "What!? You can tell!?"

"Yes…" the girl nodded. "Through Medea's eyes."

"Medea?" the capped boy frowned.

"My friend," Chidori explained, lowering her gaze.

 _Her Persona?_ "Chidori…" Junpei looked at her with sad eyes.

"That's not important…" the girl quickly lifted her head and glared at him. "Why didn't you call off the mission? Is it worth your life? Dying is what people fear most… isn't it?"

"Well…" Junpei lowered his gaze before revealing the truth to her. "I've never actually given anyone orders before… They wouldn't listen to me anyway… Ya see… I'm not really the one in charge…" he sighed.

"So you were lying earlier?" Chidori stared at him strangely. "Why…?" She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Hey…" Junpei low-spiritedly began. "Answer me this: was it all just an act?" He clenched his fists. "Us meeting, your wound, the picture… Were you just setting me up? Now that I think about it, that cut healed pretty quickly." He let out a hoarse laugh at how pathetically desperate he must have appeared. "I see how it is…"

Chidori never took her eyes off the boy. "That was…"

The rooftop door suddenly burst open and Yukari saw her classmate tied up. "Junpei!?"

"Tch," Chidori was immediately on guard. "They're back already!?" She pulled out her Evoker.

Mitsuru gasped as soon she saw it. "She's a Persona-user!?" _Yuki's suspicions were correct… There must be an agent within the Kirijo Group working against us._

Chidori placed her gun under her chin, prompting Minato to quickly push Akihiko's arm aside as his body naturally did what it did best. Junpei saw his friend ready to strike and quickly slipped his arms out of the ropes binding him. The capped boy pushed himself into Chidori, knocking her to the ground as Minato crashed into him. "Chidori, stop!" Junpei cried as the blue-haired junior looked up to him in confusion.

"Junpei!" Minato hissed. He didn't get up though and Junpei noticed his friend was badly hurt.

The capped boy didn't have time to apologize though because Chidori was reaching for her Evoker again. Junpei quickly slid and kicked the Evoker away. The girl looked at him in a panic. "No! Give it back!"

Ikutsuki and the rest of the team arrived then. The man looked at the girl in surprise. "Hm!? When did she…!?"

Akihiko picked up the Evoker as it slid towards him. "Sorry, but we can't let you use this."

"Medea!" Chidori shook her head.

Minato winced as he managed to get into a sitting position. "A little help?" he looked at the rest of SEES expectantly.

Being the one closest to the leader, Junpei pulled him up to his feet slowly. "I'm sorry, man…" he apologized as he lowered his head.

"It's fine," the blue-haired boy replied, using his friend for support. "Good work disarming her though, Junpei."

Fuuka shook her head as she gave the leader a worried frown. "I… I didn't sense her up until this very moment… This is my only power and yet…"

"Fuuka," Minato's eyes sternly flashed. "It's not a problem with Lucia."

Ikutsuki nodded. "If even Fuuka couldn't sense her, then she must have some sort of power to conceal her presence… I didn't have the slightest clue she was here…"

Minato watched the man carefully. _The Reaper's not laughing… He's telling the truth?_

Aigis walked over to the girl and quickly restrained her. "H-hey, don't hurt her," Junpei told the robot.

"Take it easy, Ai-chan," Hamuko nodded to the blonde as the robot gave Junpei a questioning look. "Just don't let her escape."

Mitsuru approached Chidori carefully. "Are you a member of the group that goes by the name Strega? I have a number of questions for you."

The girl refused to look up at the senior. "I'm not… afraid… of dying…"

"Ch-chidori…!?" Junpei tried to take a step towards her but felt Minato about to fall. He paused as he didn't want to drop his friend.

"It's alright, Junpei," the blue-haired boy reassured the taller junior as he tried to stand on his own. He winced and lost his balance.

"No, I've got you," the capped boy frowned.

"You want to be at her side though," Minato pointed out. "So go."

"Y-you're sure?"

Minato pushed the boy forward and collapsed into a sitting position. "That's an order," he grunted.

Junpei gave his friend a grateful nod before standing by Chidori's side. "H-hey, it's all right," he reassured her.

Chidori shook her head. "M-medea… I'm…"

Mitsuru crossed her arms and frowned. "Clearly, she's emotionally unstable. We'll let her rest, and save our questions for later."

Junpei's gaze lowered. "Chidori…"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Mitsuru frowned as she kept an eye on the battle. The redhead shook her head towards Yukari, Aigis, and Koromaru. "They don't seem to be faring well. Arisato was just downed."

Behind her, Fuuka was frantically keeping track of the fight. _"Senpai, the enemy's defense has returned to normal! Shinjiro-san, you're hurt! Ken-kun, it's heading your way!"_

Aigis stared at the entrance to Escapade. "Perhaps we should assist them," she said. Koromaru growled as she reached for the door. "But I do not sense danger here, Koromaru-san," she told him as a shock jumped from the door to her.

"Aigis!" Yukari went to her side, but was careful to not touch the robot as she also had a weakness to electricity. "Minato chose the team he thought was best suited for the mission. It's our job to watch Fuuka." She sighed as this was the second mission in a row that she had to sit out. "Hopefully I can be in the next fight…"

"While I share your sentiments, Takeba, we must prioritize each other's safety first," Mitsuru shook her head. "I am getting worried though… Arisato isn't responding at all." She took off her headset as Minato began barking a new string of orders. "Yuki also seems agitated. I suppose it's a good thing we are not present in the fight. He seems to have his hands full. If Yamagishi were presently with him, he might recklessly charge in alone."

"Oh yeah," Yukari thought about it. "If Fuuka gets into danger, he'll get really angry."

"It is the same way Akihiko-san gets when Mitsuru-san is in trouble," Aigis pointed out.

"What? Aigis?" Mitsuru frowned at the robot. "Nonsense. Akihiko knows I can handle myself."

Koromaru barked and wagged his tail. Aigis nodded and translated for them. "He says, 'Akihiko-san is always watching Mitsuru-san during Tartarus explorations'." Aigis turned back towards the redhead. "I can also confirm that during Hamuko-san's 'Tartarus Beach Party' Akihiko-san could not take his eyes off you, resulting in him being downed multiple times in battle."

The redhead's face began to burn. "Th-that's preposterous."

Yukari frowned at the senior. "Senpai… Are you and him…?"

"Nonsense," Mitsuru crossed her arms. "That is enough gossip for now." She looked over towards Fuuka as the younger girl let out a sigh of relief. "Yamagishi, have they finished?"

 _"Yes,"_ she nodded. _"Minato-kun and the others succeeded. I'm so glad…"_ She frowned though as she continued scanning. _"Minato-kun is badly hurt though… Senpai, I think he needs to see a doctor."_

Yukari smirked. "Senpai, you act like Fuuka does whenever Akihiko-senpai is hurt."

Fuuka paused. _"Huh? Did I miss something?"_

"Nothing," the brunette smiled.

Mitsuru shook her head. "Akihiko just needs someone to make sure he isn't overly reckless," she said in a dignified manner. "That is all."

"Mitsuru-san's body temperature is rising," Aigis noted. "Perhaps she should see a doctor too."

"That is enough!" the redhead scolded the two juniors. She couldn't hide her smile though as Akihiko came out safely, carrying Minato with him. "You did well," she said in their direction.

Thinking she was speaking to him, Minato shook his head. "I'm sorry I got hurt, Senpai. I didn't mean to break my end of the deal. I still get to lead the team though, right?"

"Huh? Oh, no. You're fine, Yuki," Mitsuru looked at the blue-haired boy in surprise.

"Oh, were you talking to Akihiko-san?" Minato tilted his head to the side.

"Who else?" Shinjiro sighed as he placed a hand on his beanie to cover his amused expression.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Huh... And still there's a lot of Minato in this chapter. I swear one of these days I'll focus only on Hamuko... Maybe... this is a start though! I think about here is when I started being okay towards Junpei... I mean... he stopped giving me trouble and he actually became serious for once. I really am a sucker for cheesy/simple/overly dramatic romantics... Kinda like Sanada Arata from Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth... He's got a flair for the dramatic and he's apparently the game's most romantic main character...


	31. Interrogating Chidori

**Author's Notes:** Okay, so I finished editing things and I end up losing my network connection... So gotta edit things again because the changes didn't save. Oh well...

* * *

~6 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato leaned back against the wall as he watched Mitsuru continue her futile interrogation. "I'll ask you once more…" the redhead shook her head. "Is Chidori your real name? What kind of organization is Strega? Are there others besides you three?" The hospitalized girl continued to ignore her, resulting in the senior sighing. "Yuki, I think you should take over."

The blue-haired boy nodded but paused when he heard someone running outside. He lifted his walking stick and used it to push open the sliding door. Yukari called out towards the running junior. "Hey wait, Junpei! You're not supposed to be here, remember!?"

Junpei didn't care as he burst into the room. He carefully avoided bumping into Minato as he approached Chidori's side. "Chidori…!"

"Junpei!" Yukari scolded him as she arrived. She gave both Student Council members and Akihiko an apologetic frown. "Uh… Sorry. He wouldn't stop bugging me about this place…"

"How are you feeling?" Junpei gently asked the girl in bed. "Seems like you've calmed down," he said in relief.

"She certainly has," Mitsuru said. "In fact, she won't say a word. Maybe we should confiscate her sketchbook, too."

Junpei sharply turned to the senior. "Hey, come on… What good would that do!? That won't make her talk!"

"I'm not so sure about that," Mitsuru sternly looked at him. "She was quite upset when we took her Evoker. Speaking of which…" she lifted her red eyes towards Chidori once more. "Where did you get that?"

"Medea…" Chidori looked as if she were missing something important to her. "Give it back to me! I want her back!"

Akihiko shook his head from where he stood. "Hey, I told you not to bring that up, didn't I!?"

"Then," Mitsuru turned to the boxer in frustration, "what am I supposed to do!?" She sighed. "I'll have someone else try next time."

"Yukari," Akihiko looked to the brunette. "Call a nurse. We're done for today. I'll inform Ikutsuki-san of the difficulties we're having."

"Why…?" Chidori stared at the white bedsheets. "Why did you take it from me…? Medea…"

"C'mon, Junpei," Yukari pulled on the boy's arm. "Let's go."

"Chidori…" Junpei tugged down on his cap. "What happened to you…?"

Minato watched everyone else leave. He used his walking stick to steady himself as he fully stood up. "He worries about you, you know," the boy told the hospitalized girl. "I wanted Junpei to stay away from you, but he doesn't take orders well, especially from me."

"You're the leader," Chidori stared at the blue-haired boy.

"That's right," Minato nodded when he finally reached the door. "I was pretty pissed when Junpei didn't show up to last night's operation, but after I learned what happened, I can't really blame him. After all, he really cares about you. He even went so far as to lie about being in charge just to impress you."

"Are you angry with him for that?" Chidori asked.

"Not at all," the boy smirked as he tightened his hold around his walking stick. "He really is an idiot sometimes, but he's also very straightforward with his feelings. I'm not like that at all. If you had known I was the leader and captured me instead, I would have killed you on the spot without a second thought," he shrugged as he was exaggerating.

"You have a chance now," the girl pointed out. "You know I won't live long anyways."

Minato stared at the Reaper sitting by her side. "I'm not a Death bringer," the boy frowned.

"You're afraid," Chidori plainly stared at him, "of living."

"So are you," the boy looked towards her. "We're very alike. We're both unafraid of our own deaths, but living brings us pain." He wryly smiled. "Still, we have people who care about us so we continue to live anyways…"

"You don't know anything about me," the girl shook her head.

"Are you sure?" Minato tilted his head to the side. "I might not be as close to you as Junpei, but there are things only I can discover through the Reapers. It's only because of Junpei that I'm holding back, so be grateful to him." He took a step out of the room. "I'll be visiting again, but it's not as if anyone else will know of this discussion between us. As far as I'm concerned, this conversation never happened. I just thought you should know how Junpei was faring outside of visiting you though." He nodded in goodbye as he closed the door.

* * *

~8 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Mitsuru watched Fuuka expectantly. "So, Yamagishi… Do you sense anything?" Fuuka shook her head. Chidori remained silent as she stared at the junior. Getting impatient, Mitsuru frowned at the girl she was trying to get to talk. "By refusing to speak, you're only hurting yourself. We aren't keeping you here because we hate you; we just want to avoid unnecessary confrontation."

Minato tilted his head to the side as he heard running again. "Senpai, he's here." He opened the door with his walking stick and let Junpei in.

"How's Chidori?" the capped boy asked, out of breath. Mitsuru shook her head at him and he straightened up. "Can I just talk to her?"

"Iori…" Mitsuru frowned at him. "It seems like you're letting your emotions get the best of you. Is everything okay?"

"Well…" Junpei avoided her gaze. "Not exactly… I know she attacked me, but… I can't stop thinking about her!" He turned towards Minato. "I know you were warning me about this, but—"

"Junpei, I get it," the blue-haired boy cut him off. Minato looked towards Mitsuru. "Senpai, I say we let him. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens." His eyes flickered to Chidori's Reaper as the deathly omen stared at his capped friend. _Again… It's just watching him… It wants something from him._

"Minato…" Junpei's eyes widened at his friend.

Mitsuru studied Minato's calm face. "Alright," she relented.

"Thank you very much!" Junpei took off his cap and bowed.

"Junpei-kun…" Fuuka gave him a worried frown as she got up from her seat. She took her place beside Minato and watched as Junpei sat in the empty chair.

"You okay?" Junpei gently asked Chidori. "I'm glad they let you keep your sketchbook… You really like to draw, huh…?"

"It doesn't matter," Chidori finally said.

Fuuka looked at the girl in surprise. "She spoke…"

Chidori shook her head as she continued speaking with the capped boy. "No one else but me can understand my pictures…"

Junpei looked down at the bed sheets and immediately grabbed her hand when the white bandages began seeping in blood. "Chidori…!? Y-your arm!"

"Tch…" Akihiko scowled. "Again!?" He turned towards the juniors standing by the wall. "Fuuka, get a doctor!"

"R-right away!" Fuuka quickly rushed out.

Junpei shook his head. "Why are you bleeding!?"

"She does it to herself," Akihiko frowned and let out a sigh. "I thought I had removed all the sharp objects in here."

"She did this to herself…!?" Junpei gave the girl a look full of surprise and worry.

"Apparently," Mitsuru said, crossing her arms, "we can't leave her unattended for even one moment. But fortunately, she heals at an astounding rate…"

"Let go of me!" Chidori pulled her arm back from Junpei.

Junpei frowned at the girl. "Then, at the station… you did that to yourself!?"

"I never asked for your help," she snapped at him. "You were the one who misunderstood."

"Well, I want you to stop," Junpei sternly told her. "You can't be doing that…" His expression softened. "It's not right… And I won't let you…"

Mitsuru took a glance towards the hall and noticed Fuuka returning. "The doctor will be here soon. You and Yamagishi should go now," she told the capped boy.

"Yeah," Junpei sighed as he got up. Chidori watched him as he left, but the boy didn't seem to notice. He brushed past Minato and muttered to his friend. "Thanks, man." Minato nodded to him as he closed the door once the doctor was in the room.

Mitsuru prepared herself for another interrogation and stepped to the patient's side. "So, you seem to have found your voice."

Minato watched as Chidori became mute once more. He didn't even pay attention to the senior as she continued her line of questions. Chidori stared back at him and the blue-haired boy sighed. _So… That's what you want?_ "Senpai, I think that's enough for today. She'll only open up to Junpei and pushing her too far would only bring us problems later on."

"He's right," Akihiko nodded. "Come on, Mitsuru."

The redhead reluctantly followed the boxer out. The doctor had a few words for her though so the three privately held their own discussion out in the hall. Minato remained in the room as he slowly stood straight. He moved slowly, purposefully using his health as an excuse to stay behind. "So you have something to say to me?"

"That girl before stared at you the same way Junpei stares at me," Chidori noted.

"Fuuka worries about me the same way Junpei worries about you," Minato simply responded. "I don't like to make her worry though, so I do my best to behave."

"Why?"

"Because I care about her too," the boy said. "Last time, I told you that we were alike. There are many ways in which we differ though. The biggest difference I see is that I'm willing to bind myself to others. This creates a fear within me though… I might not be afraid to die, but I won't needlessly throw my life away. I need to be alive to ensure they live too."

"You're a fool," Chidori stated.

"I'm _the_ Fool," Minato corrected her. "That is my Arcana. You are the Hanged Man. The choices we have ahead of us also differ." The boy cast his blue eyes towards the Reaper behind her. "I'm sure you know what I mean… Your Reaper…"

"I don't need you to tell me," the girl coolly snapped at him. "I've seen my Death already," Chidori lowered her gaze.

Minato frowned as he didn't quite know how to interpret her words. He decided to play it safe and take it literally, but it wasn't as if he knew what she had specifically seen. "I won't push you on this then," the boy said with a nod.

"I no longer wish to speak with you," Chidori said, looking at him. "You're very unsettling… Not like Junpei…"

"That's fine," Minato shrugged. "Soon, I don't think I'll need to visit anymore. Until then, you'll have to put up with my presence."

* * *

~10 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato paused and opened the door. "He's here again," he told the two seniors. The blue-haired boy noticed his friend carrying something tucked under his arm. _Huh? What's that for?_

Junpei smiled as he came in. "Yo, Chidorita!"

"Don't call me that," Chidori frowned at him.

"C'mon, cheer up…" He handed her the sketchpad he had. "I brought you a new sketchbook. I thought your old one might be getting full."

"That wasn't necessary, Junpei," the redhead plainly said to him.

Junpei took a seat and began to lightly chuckle. "You said my name…" His expression was soft. "I was worried I'd never hear that again."

Minato smiled as he watched but he soon sensed a Reaper approaching them from the hall. He straightened up and greeted the tall brunet as he entered. "Shinjiro-san."

Shinjiro nodded his head to the leader before turning towards Mitsuru and Akihiko. "Any luck?" he asked.

"She finally started talking," Mitsuru informed him. "But nothing useful yet."

"Well," Akihiko crossed his arms, "that's a start. So…" he glanced at his old friend. "Why are YOU here?"

Shinjiro didn't get a chance to explain as Chidori began choking. She put a hand on her throat and groaned. "Ugh…!"

Junpei got up. "Chidori!? Wh-what's wrong!?"

"Ugh… Agh…" Chidori struggled to fight back. A Persona flickered over her and everybody watched in surprise.

"A Persona!" Mitsuru cried out.

"Tch!" Shinjiro quickly moved towards Chidori, pushing Junpei aside. He reached into his pocket and shoved something into the girl's mouth.

As quickly as Medea appeared, the Persona receded back into the hospitalized girl. Chidori began to calm down as her breathing became regular again.

"Chidori!" Junpei grabbed her hand out of worry.

"Relax…" Shinjiro told him. "It happens. They're not like us. They can't fully control their Personas. That's why they need to take suppressants… to keep their Personas from killing them…" _And others…_ he thought as he stared at a rather pale Minato.

"Suppressants…?" Mitsuru frowned. "You know about Strega?" She looked over towards Minato and noticed the junior staring blankly at the ground.

Akihiko looked at the brunet in surprise. "Shinji…?"

Shinjiro ignored their stares. "You'd be surprised what you can learn on the streets. I'll give the doc the right pills." He turned towards the door. "The rest is up to you."

Akihiko frowned as he looked between Chidori and his childhood friend before taking off after the tall boy. "Shinji, wait! Hey!"

Junpei ignored everything else as he worriedly stared at the hospitalized girl. "Chidori?"

Chidori finally calmed down from Medea's attack. "I… I…" She gave Junpei a questioning expression. "Junpei?"

"Th-thank God…" the capped boy sighed in relief. "I thought you might be…"

"Why do you look so scared?" Chidori studied his face. "Death is nothing to be afraid of…"

"What are you saying…?" Junpei frowned at her.

"Dying just means you don't wake up anymore…" Chidori said to reassure him. "That's all."

"Wh-what!?" The capped boy shook his head and glared at the girl. "You don't really mean that, do you? I-I don't want you to die, Chidori!"

"Junpei…" Chidori studied the concern on his face.

"Just because you're not afraid doesn't mean no one else is…" Junpei closed his eyes as he felt stinging tears begin to form. "Did you ever think about how I might feel!?"

The girl lightly laughed in response. "You're so weird, Junpei…"

"Ha…" the capped boy looked up at her smiling face. "Look who's talkin'…"

Smiling to himself, Minato decided this was a good time for him to leave. He leaned against his walking stick and quietly called towards Mitsuru. "Senpai, let's leave them be."

"Yes," the senior nodded as she helped him out. "Besides, I would like a word with you in private."

"Of course," the boy nodded, already expecting it. He took a seat at a bench in the middle of an empty hallway and set his walking stick down. "What is it that you wanted to discuss, Senpai?"

"Much of Strega is unknown, but I am beginning to suspect you are withholding information from SEES, Yuki," Mitsuru looked down at him.

"I don't know what you mean," the boy simply responded.

"You're lying," her red eyes flashed.

"Burden of proof lies in the accuser, Senpai," Minato told her as he sat back against the wall. "Unless you reveal your hand, I'm not obligated to reveal mine."

Mitsuru frowned at how difficult he was being. _Of course, I expect no less from him._ "All of SEES met Strega two full moons ago, yet during that encounter, Takaya and Jin were already familiar with you. This leads me to believe you had already encountered them. They even offered you a position among their ranks."

"But I denied them," Minato pointed out. "I am the leader of SEES, after all."

" _I_ am the leader of SEES," Mitsuru sternly corrected him. "You are my field adjutant."

"It makes no difference what I'm called really," the junior shrugged, "so long as I'm in charge of the fights. With the results I've produced, you have no reason to doubt my loyalties, Senpai."

"I never doubted your loyalties. Between your blatant disregard for your own wellbeing and overprotective—nearly borderline obsessive—tendencies, I am certain of your position within both SEES and Strega." Mitsuru crossed her arms. "I do, however, question your methodology."

Minato frowned at this. "Am I overstepping my boundaries?"

"From where I stand, yes," the senior sternly glared at him.

"And your reasoning?" The boy's blue eyes flashed in challenge.

"Yuki," Mitsuru cooled the edge in her voice when she realized it wouldn't work well to have him so defensive. "You returned something to Strega that night. A small bottle. Given what I just learned today, I can only assume they had given you suppressants for your Persona too. I fail to see why they would offer you such a thing when your Persona abilities surpass that of the team's."

The blue-eyed boy's gaze faltered. "Senpai…" He couldn't come up with a counter for that.

"Does it have to do with your awakening to the Dark Hour?" Mitsuru tried to pry.

"Sort of," Minato frowned as she wasn't quite wrong. "Senpai… Can I ask you something? If I'm overstepping my boundaries, I apologize, but I need to know something." He looked up to see the redhead nod to him. "The Dark Hour… You've lived through it since your childhood, correct?"

Mitsuru hesitated before giving him an answer. "Y-yes."

"Hamuko and I have too," he told her. "To be honest," he lowered his gaze again, "I really hate the Dark Hour. It doesn't really bother Hamuko, but me…? I can't sleep well at night knowing the Shadows are about. They give me nightmares," he partially lied. "If I lower my guard, I might lose my sister too. On top of that, I'm responsible for our battles." He clenched his fists. "Senpai… you're the same way, right? If anything happens to us, you intend to take responsibility even if I'm the one giving everyone orders in battle."

 _I should have never given him the burden of leadership_ , Mitsuru frowned to herself. "You've become quite the dependable leader. I'm sorry to have given you that role, Yuki."

The boy shook his head. "You had no choice at the time and I accepted." Minato took in a deep breath. "The weight may be unbearable at times, but I won't give up my position, Senpai," the boy said with determination.

"And the Persona suppressants…?"

"I'm not taking them," Minato looked up, a serious expression on his face. "As much as I hate living through the Dark Hour, I'm not so foolish as to risk the side effects. Besides," he frowned to himself, "I need my Personas to protect everyone and defeat the Shadows."

For some reason, Mitsuru was relieved to hear this. "Good," she nodded to him. "I'm glad you realize the importance of your choice."

"There's still something else on your mind, isn't there?" Minato blinked at her. "You're still curious about my investigation."

"It doesn't seem like I'll be able to get more out of you," the redhead frowned.

The junior shrugged. "There is one thing I can share. You're concerned about a possible agent within the Kirijo Group. It's only logical," the boy said, pointing a finger into the air. "Strega has Evokers. The Kirijo Group builds Evokers. Strega takes Persona suppression pills. I don't know this for certain, but I'm pretty sure that the Kirijo Group would be the most likely supplier of such medication."

"No, your reasoning is sound," Mitsuru said, impressed by his deductions as usual. "Aside from studying the Shadows, there were scientists working under my grandfather's orders to research Personas as well. Their results built up the foundation for the Shadow Suppression Weapons."

"I see..." Minato nodded as he recalled Aigis's Persona. He knit his eyebrows together as that made him all the more suspicious over the man directing SEES. "But about that agent, Senpai," he lowered his head as he contemplated whether to tell her about Ikutsuki. "I suspect only one person, but I'm afraid I'm in no position to share with you who," he finally revealed with a frown. "I have no evidence or motive. I only have conjecture and that isn't enough. Please understand…"

The senior studied the boy's face and sensed his honesty. Still she wondered why he had taken on such a burden on his own. "Is it alright for you to explain why you are looking into the Dark Hour separately from the team?"

Minato wryly smiled. "You've read through my files. A lot of what is in my medical evaluation is inaccurate."

"School-age schizophrenia, clinical depression, insomnia, self-injury…" Mitsuru frowned as she remembered the long list of disorders various experts have diagnosed for the junior.

The blue-haired boy nodded. "I… didn't understand it when I was younger. The Dark Hour terrified me. Hamuko was afraid too, but I was always there to reassure her that she wasn't alone. Using me as her strength, she adapted faster than I did. She could easily sleep through the night knowing I was watching over her."

"And you?" the redhead sadly stared at his pained face.

"I couldn't do the same," the older brother shamefully admitted. "I am the eldest son of Takuto Shirogane and Kyoko Yuki." His body began to shake. "As such, I made it my sole responsibility to protect my family."

"Shirogane…?" Mitsuru's eyes widened as she recalled meeting a detective of that name a long time ago. _Wasn't he the man investigating Grandfather?_ Her red eyes wandered over Minato's facial features. _Yuki is his son… Could he really be the same boy from back then?_ "Before you lost your parents, did you live in this area?"

"It was a temporary situation as my parents were investigators," Minato frowned. "Um… I don't feel quite comfortable talking about that with you, Senpai."

"Because your parents were looking into my grandfather," Mitsuru nodded in understanding.

"Oh… So you know…"

"I only just realized this when you mentioned your father was Detective Shirogane," the redhead told him. "In fact, you and I have met before."

"Did we?" Minato knit his eyebrows together. "Sorry, but I don't recall such a memory."

"No, you shouldn't be able to," Mitsuru smirked. "You had recently become aware of the Dark Hour after all."

The blue-eyed boy blinked. "Memory loss and disorientation…"

"It seems you understand," the senior said as she continued. "I have some knowledge of the accident on Moonlight Bridge. You and your sister were immediately brought here to be treated for your injuries. During your stay, my father had been notified of two young children displaying the Potential. Curious, I asked to come along…"

Minato brought a hand to his head as it began to hurt. Through the pain, an image of a red-eyed girl wearing her red hair in curls on the sides of her head appeared. The girl frowned as she spoke to him. _"Are you okay? Is this your first time experiencing the Dark Hour?"_

The boy's blue eyes widened as he remembered his response from back then. "Is this what Hell is like?" he absently asked aloud.

Mitsuru stared at him with wide eyes. "Pardon?"

Minato frowned as the memory quickly faded. _Damn… I almost had it._ "Sorry… That was what I asked you before, wasn't it?" He lowered his hand. "I had been kicked out of my sister's hospital room for being a nuisance to the doctors and you came up to me back then."

"So you are indeed Minato Shirogane," Mitsuru crossed her arms with a smirk. "I should have realized this sooner." She frowned as she considered something. "The two of you were recorded into the Kirijo Group's database, but a simple name change made you untraceable… Your files must have been tampered with… How did this go unnoticed for so long?"

"Senpai?" Minato stared at her.

Mitsuru pensively bit her thumb. _This goes farther than I imagined. It seems Grandfather's influence is still present today. I must notify Father, but what do I do about Yuki?_ She stared at the blue-haired boy. _He won't idly let this investigation go, but because of his involvement with the Dark Hour and Shadows…_ Her eyes wandered to the walking stick he set aside.

"Senpai," Minato noticed what she was staring at. "If you intend to impede my investigation, you know what I'll do…"

 _That's right… His complete disregard for his own safety works against me here. I am responsible for him. But his investigation…_ Her eyes widened at a thought. _Of course, that's what I should do. In this way, we both benefit._ She straightened up and strictly stared him down. "Up until now, I have overlooked your personal investigation, but I cannot allow you to continue as you have been."

The boy tensed up. "You're really going to…!?"

The redhead shook her head as she continued. "The Kirijo Group seems to still have many secrets hidden. I will notify my father directly about your circumstances. What happens next, I will let you know."

The blue-eyed junior struggled to stand. "Senpai, you can't be serious about…!" He paused when the girl glanced back at him with a strange glow in her red eyes.

"I fully understand your intentions now," she said. "There is no reason for me to hinder such potential, but I trust you already know the stipulations I am placing on this deal?"

The boy's hand tightened around his walking stick as he gave her a determined nod. "Of course!"

"Your parents would be very proud of you, Minato." Mitsuru smirked at the blue flames in his eyes. "The case they have left you regarding my family… I expect results." She continued down the hall, leaving the junior behind.

"Of course!" he called out after her. Minato could feel the anticipation bubble inside him. "Thank you very much, Mitsuru-senpai!" _A breakthrough!? Yes!_ He would have jumped into the air, but his walking stick slipped under the pressure he was putting on it. He quickly caught himself but the happiness inside him didn't fade.

* * *

"Hey, wait!" Akihiko called out as he ran. "Shinji!" Shinjiro paused and turned around. "What the hell's going on…?" the boxer asked him as he caught his breath. "Why did you have those pills!? I've heard about those… They're taken to suppress a Persona when the user can't control it. But, the side-effects…" He frowned as he asked a question he already knew the answer to. "You're not taking them, are you?" Shinjiro didn't answer so Akihiko grabbed him by his jacket. "Answer me!"

"I don't owe you anything," the brunet responded, not looking at the white-haired senior.

"Tch," Akihiko glared at him as he let him go. "The same as always…"

"Save it," Shinjiro took a step back. "I've heard it all before. You think I'm wasting my power… but you're just too thick-headed. I'm tired of your damn preaching."

Out of anger and desperation to get to the brunet, Akihiko punched his best friend. "Don't you get it?" he frowned to himself. "You know the reason…" He clenched his fists. "10 years ago. My sister. The fire. I wasn't strong enough to save her. They held me back, while she…" Shinjiro looked away as he knew very well what had happened. "That's why I try so hard… We promised, remember?" Akihiko gave the tall boy a stern glare. "To become strong enough to do what we think is right… So, why the drugs? Why didn't you come talk to me…?"

"I'm back in the fight now…" Shinjiro responded. "So let it go."

Akihiko knew a losing battle when he saw one so let out a heavy sigh. "And the side effects?"

"There's something I need to take care of," the brunet said, turning his back on the boxer. "It's something only I can do."

"Like what?" the senior asked.

"Listen, don't worry about me," Shinjiro shook his head. "Just do what you think is right."

* * *

Hamuko hung up her phone. _So a new area opened up in Tartarus. Good… I think I came up with a way to fix nii-san…_ She suddenly looked towards the front door as the lock turned.

Minato hobbled into the lounge and smiled at her. "Hey."

"Nii-san, Theo called. We're going to Tartarus tonight, okay?"

"Me included?" the boy asked.

The red-eyed girl nodded. "I came up with a treatment for you."

"That's good," Minato smiled.

"You're not going to ask about it?" Hamuko was surprised.

He shook his head. "If you think it'll work, I'll trust you with it. Besides, I have my investigation to focus on."

"You learned something?"

"I'm almost ready for my counter," Minato smirked. "I just need time to sort through everything." He paused as he went over what he learned that afternoon. "Hey, Hamuko… How's your memory of what happened after the accident?"

"As good as yours," the girl shook her head. "Why?"

"Do you remember meeting Mitsuru-senpai in the hospital back then?"

"She was there?" Hamuko's red eyes widened.

Minato nodded and frowned. "Senpai thinks we forgot because that was when we awakened to the Dark Hour."

"That sounds about right, but…" the brunette shook her head. "Nii-san, when we fought the Hermit Shadow, I remembered something. Each time we fight the Shadows, I'm remembering more and more."

Minato frowned. "Lately, I've been noticing that too." A strange sense of guilt began to build within him. "Hamuko… what was the reason for us being on the bridge that night?"

"I don't remember," the girl shook her head.

"Hmm…" The blue-eyed boy shook his head when he realized it was getting late into the evening. "I guess I should leave it alone for now." _Something really is sealing our memories… But what? And why?_

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Minato laughed maniacally as his mobility returned. He tossed aside his walking stick and pointed his Evoker to his head. "I'm back!" he said with a smirk as he summoned Apsaras to freeze the Shadows before them.

Hamuko shook her head as she caught her breath. "Nii-san! These Shadows aren't worth our time!" She watched the boy disappear around a corner.

"Is it just me or is he a bit _too_ excitable tonight?" Yukari frowned.

 _"Minato-kun found the stairs! Do you want to continue, Hamuko-chan?"_

"No! We're looking for a return point," the co-leader shook her head.

"On it then!" Minato impatiently called into his headset. He darted down a random corridor and spotted the teleport pad. "Found—!" He paused as his body slowed down. "Oh no…" _Cadenza's effects are wearing off…_

 _"Hamuko-chan! Minato-kun collapsed!"_ Fuuka worriedly told her.

"Nii-san! You idiot!" Hamuko scolded the boy as she tapped his limp form with her naginata. She looked to Shinjiro expectantly.

The brunet groaned as he threw the blue-haired junior over his shoulder. "Let's go…"

Minato blankly stared at the ground as he limply hung over the taller boy. "I can walk on my own, you know…" the boy frowned.

"You're just gonna slow us down," Shinjiro growled.

"Well, this is embarrassing…" the junior sighed to himself. He let out a yelp as Shinjiro dropped him to the ground at the start of a new battle.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I still don't quite understand how the Dark Hour works when it comes to injuries and stuff. I mean, it would be fantastic to just magic everything away with Mediarahan... I guess the Personas work to protect them from most heavy injuries but fatal wounds can kill them? It's pretty weird... But I'll complain more about that later.


	32. Signs of a Storm

**Author's Notes:** So... I'm only up to the 14th of September in FES so... My next update will be next week. This gives me time to go over details and fix any inconsistencies I find too... Especially since later chapters, I've noticed it got a little sloppy... It's kinda hard making a mystery... Mainly cuz it's hard breaking out of my own head... Things I know aren't things everyone know so that's a thing... But anyways, this chapter is kind of a filler. Next chapter is one too, but afterwards... well... If you played the game, you should know what's coming up...

* * *

~11 SEPETEMBER 2009~

Hamuko found that it was taking a while for her and her brother to get used to the start of the second semester. With so much happening, it was getting harder for them to keep track of which Social Links they should be working on.

With as many people as they knew, Hamuko became surprised when she finished her first Social Link with Junpei. Showing a rare instance of seriousness and maturity, the capped Magician gave her the key holder he used to carry his house keys on. For him, it was proof that he trusted Hamuko and that she would always have his back. In return, he would do the same for her, no matter what they faced in the future. In and out of Tartarus, they would always be best friends and as Junpei had told her, he was grateful for their Personas.

"It's not because it makes me kinda like a superhero or anything," he explained. "It always bugged me, that weakness I knew was there inside… But I feel like I can change." He brightly smiled at the red-eyed girl. "And I think that if it wasn't for you and the rest, I wouldn't have that feeling, even with this power. Or worse," he frowned to himself. "I mighta done the wrong things with it… So… thanks."

Hamuko noticed a new determination in his eyes that day. It was the same determination he wore when he managed to persuade Mitsuru into letting him take over in watching Chidori. Hamuko was happy for her friend and when she summoned Surt for the first time, Junpei could only smirk as the fire giant resonated with Hermes.

As for her brother, he finished his first link as well with the first year Chihiro. Hamuko smirked as it was cute to see the young girl have crush on him. Minato made it very clear though that he was Chihiro's senpai. He took in the younger girl under his wing and showed her the strength to stand up against unfairness. The cool fiery determination of the Hellhound inspired the Treasurer when she had problems with the rest of Student Council. Within her class, there was a discrepancy with some missing funds, but Minato helped her get through it all. When the Student Council President herself got involved however, it was the first time the first year had seen the Hellhound so nervous at being interrogated. The Treasurer immediately defended him though and afterwards, Chihiro explained what she felt to Minato.

"Normally, I'm quiet and timid, but when it comes to something I care about, then I become aggressive," she blushed to the boy. "You're the same way, Minato-senpai, but I feel there is more I can still learn from you."

"Hey, what you did came from your own strength," Minato seriously told her before giving her a proud smirk. "But you did well, Chihiro. Mitsuru-senpai and I will be counting on you even more now."

He accepted a shoujo manga from the girl and although it wasn't quite his type of story, he read it before taking it to the Velvet Room. When he summoned Melchizedek for the first time, Hamuko noticed how soft her brother's face was. When they returned from Tartarus that night, the red-eyed girl teased her older brother. "So was it a good story?"

"It was," he nodded with a gentle smile. "It might have been a simple tale of romance, but even I can appreciate that sort of thing from time to time." He lowered his gaze as he blushed. "Besides, the heroine reminded me of…" he ended up mumbling to himself, but Hamuko knew who he was referring to when he looked towards their trusty navigator.

Minato later surprised Hamuko a bit when she learned he completed a second Social Link. This time it was for the Hermit Arcana. Even though he had never met 'Maya' in person, the anonymous female seemed to have fallen for the blue-haired boy. Hamuko didn't quite know the depth of their relationship as her brother was quite adamant about keeping their conversations private to conceal 'Maya's' identity, but as Innocent Sin Online was being shut down anyways, Minato showed his younger sister his last chat log.

'Maya' had apologized to her 'Tatsuya' that even though she had fun playing the game with him, it was time to move on. She had reread their previous conversations and was actually quite embarrassed with herself.

 _Maya: what kind fo persona plays an MMO jus to bitch about coworkers? -_-_

 _Maya: u shouldn't have had to put up w/ me doin that. im sry m(_ _)m_

 _Maya: sum teacher i am, rite? =/_

 _Maya: i kno it'll look lik I'm chickening out an stuff, but…_

 _Maya: im thinkin bout quittin the MMO today i… dun think i'll c u again T_T_

Minato had actually been surprised by this as his reply showed.

 _Tatsuya: This is sudden…_

 _Maya: …it's kind of a bad habit, but i'm sure this is the rite thing ._._

 _Maya: since nobody can see my face on teh intarweb, I could be mean…_ = (

 _Maya: so i jus have to look myself in the mirror and make it rite! ^_^_

 _Maya: shyeah rit. =P i never would've figured this out w/out ur help_

 _Maya: tatsuya taught me to be thoughtful even when im not around ppl_ =)

Minato finished his goodbyes and Hamuko gave her brother her condolences. She was still concerned about the anonymous woman though. "Do you really think she'll be fine now, nii-san?" she asked him.

"Who knows?" Minato crossed his arms and wore a small smile. "We'd just have to see if this teacher changed for ourselves."

And he turned out to be right as Toriumi wasn't complaining in class as much as before. She also seemed to have gotten stricter, yet she showed a lot more consideration to her students. This was most evident when Minato and Junpei tried to sleep in class during the semester's first Composition lesson. She called out the two boys and although Minato was a bit annoyed he could no longer sleep through her lectures, he was happy that his online friend renewed her passion for teaching. Lessons were more intuitive now and even Junpei seemed to be doing better in the subject. Hamuko would occasionally glance behind her to check if her brother was still awake, but even if he was tempted to sleep during Toriumi's lessons, he would covertly take out his phone to stare at the new wallpaper screen 'Maya' had given him.

In Tartarus, Minato would fondly call on Arahabaki's power at the start of battle, thanks to its Auto-Maraku skill. He had joked that in this way, their teacher would always be guiding them as a proper instructor should. He quickly followed up by giving Hamuko a thumb up while exclaiming, "Let's think positive!"

The next Social Link they completed, they finished it together. To conclude the Tower Link, Mutatsu, the bald monk in Escapade, had requested the two to visit him as he had something important to share with them. Seeing the twins so close as a family, yet so distinct as individuals had made him realize he wished to see his own family again and he was grateful to them for it. The monk wanted to apologize for his past but the old man wanted to see them once more before he set off on his journey of repentance.

"All things are unique, yet not singular," he reminded the two as he readied to leave. "I finally faced the fact that I was drinkin' to hide my true feelings. I feel so free now. Tch," he frowned at the twins. "It's both your faults. Lecturing you night after night…" he smiled wistfully, "made me think about when I used to be a father. Maybe Buddha sent you to help me… I gotta admit, I believe in fate." Mutatsu stared at them as they smiled. "If I hadn't met you, I'd never have seen my family ever again. I owe ya, kids…" He reached into a pocket and roughly spoke to them. "Here, hold out your hands."

Hamuko was surprised by the bottle tag he slapped into her hand. "Huh?" She glanced at her brother in confusion.

Minato continued to smirk at the old man. "So you're giving up alcohol?"

"Heh," Mutatsu smirked at the cheeky boy. "When you mix Cointreau with white rum, lemon juice, and ice… you get a cocktail called 'XYZ'. Movies and manga often use the initials 'XYZ' to symbolize the end of something. But, I think of XYZ as the best." He looked away from the underage kids. "Plus, it tastes sooo good goin' down." The monk walked past them, trying his best not to look back. "I'll be prayin' that your futures are XYZ… So long, kids."

The twins smiled to each other, knowing the man would be fine now. The reserve tag they had been given were proof of that. They brought the tag to Igor and managed to access Chi You's great strength, but the burden was too much for one twin to bear. Concerned for their wellbeing, Igor smiled at them. "It seems your emotional bonds are coming along quite nicely, but you both are still lacking in strength. Until then, it seems Chi You is willing to split the burden of summoning him between you two."

The twins nodded in understanding as they simultaneously tested the new Tower Persona's power in Tartarus. The warrior-god of weapons heeded their call and quickly demonstrated his skills for them. It didn't nearly drain them as much as using a Fusion Spell, but by sharing the Persona, the twins felt the bond between them growing ever stronger.

This was reinforced when they also had to split Beelzebub's power for completing the Devil Link with the shady businessman Tanaka. The rich company president was meeting with a woman to discuss a donation he was willing to give. "She's raising money to help orphans in foreign countries," he explained to them. "I don't look at it as a donation so much as an investment. Let me explain…" he eyed the twins seriously. "Children who learn to cope with adversity are more likely to become rich and famous, like me. I'm thinking of donating 10 million yen. Not a corporate one," he shook his head with a small smile, "but a private one. When I told them over the phone, they sent me this." He handed the twins a thank-you letter. "Now, I can't back out…" He shrugged. "Ten million is nothing to me, though."

"It might be nothing to you, but that's amazing, Tanaka-san," Hamuko said with wide eyes.

Minato nodded. "That's impressive. We're under scholarships too, but that'll be a lot of kids you're helping."

Tanaka's expression softened as he watched the two twins. "This idea probably would not have occurred to me if it wasn't for our conversations… By talking to you two, I seem to have developed an interest in watching others mature… I thank you for that." He shook his head as he immediately turned this back on himself. "Actually, I should be thanking myself… for wisely noticing this."

The twins chuckled at his inflated ego, but both knew the businessman appreciated them too.

Tanaka prepared to leave the mall with his new business associate. "You can keep that letter," he told them. "I worked myself to the bone to earn that money," he sighed, "and all I get in return is a piece of paper?" He frowned to himself. As the lady came over though, the man instantly smiled to the twins for the good deed he was doing. "But it's not a bad feeling…" He gave the siblings one last inspection before nodding. "Oh, by the way… I've decided to cancel the exclusive modeling contracts we discussed. You're better off being diamonds in the rough. No one needs to polish you; you'll shine on your own. Even more when you're both together. And when you do, everyone will take notice." He turned away to hide the proud tears in his eyes. "I'll look forward to that day. Tootaloo, my dear friends."

Of course, after completing the nightly Social Links, the twins soon found someone else to speak with. Minato was drawn to the sickly boy who made weekly visits to Naganaki Shrine. Curious, Hamuko went with him and even though she couldn't see the Reapers, Akinari Kamiki seemed to attract Death with his very being. The grey-haired boy had rather profound things to say, but despite his bleak view of the world, the twins noticed a light shine within him that gave them hope for the future, befitting of the Sun Arcana. Akinari may border life and death, but that didn't mean he was any less of a friend to them.

All of their friends were important after all. They gave the twins strength and a reason to keep fighting. The Shadows could try to trap the people of Iwatodai in Tartarus, but Hamuko and Minato would never stand for it. It was their job to protect the city they had grown to love. It was their home. Their lives had properly begun here and if this was where their lives would end, so be it. They'd do so fighting for the people they met and those they would eventually meet. Igor had been right about their emotional ties making them stronger after all.

Eager to uphold this very fact, Minato even went off on his own to make another Social Link. A rival runner from another school had taken an interest in him during the Track Tournament. Both boys could be seen hanging around the strip mall, challenging each other to competitions that ranged from eating to running. Mamoru Hayase was a rising Star and although he shared his familial problems with Minato, the blue-haired boy understood the responsibilities that came with being the eldest son. This just sped their friendship along as they hung out together.

Minato also finally began his Lovers Link with Yukari. Hamuko didn't know the specifics of what her brother said to the archer back in Yakushima, but it seems the archer was really opening up to him. Yukari had told her that Minato really was an amazing brother and even though she wasn't their sister by blood, Yukari would always be grateful to the twins to be seen as a part of their small family.

As for Hamuko, she happily began spending time with Koromaru. The dog had a very keen sense of what the twins were able to see, but he preferred Hamuko overall. It could have been because Hamuko sometimes could sense his previous owner though as the two would get into in-depth discussions about how to best care for the loyal animal. Koromaru never let it show, but the girl could tell he missed the priest so did her best to pamper the lovable scoundrel.

The priest wasn't the only spirit Hamuko saw around the dorm though. More often than not, Ken would be sitting alone with his mother watching over him. One evening, Hamuko found herself with free time so took the young boy out to eat as she overheard the woman commenting on his health and weight. Ken accepted the multiple offers she gave him and was surprised at the girl's concern. "You remind me of my mom," he frowned as she pointed out the bell peppers he purposefully avoided.

"You must miss her," Hamuko frowned. "I miss my parents sometimes, too." She gave him her best smile though as she cheered him up. "But no matter what, I know they're always watching over me. And I know I'm not alone either because I have nii-san and everyone else with me. You can rely on us too, Ken-kun."

The young boy nodded in understanding. "Thanks… You'd make a good older sister, Hamuko-san."

Hamuko laughed at that as she thought of her own younger sister living separately from her and Minato. "I guess it's rare for me to get a chance to act like one, but whenever you need me, I'll be there, Ken-kun."

Whenever they returned to the dorm, the red-eyed girl found it odd that Ken would avoid Shinjiro. She attributed it to the fact that the brunet went out of his way to appear unwelcoming. Despite that, she managed to hound the older boy into taking her out for dinner one night. He was a part of SEES again and more than anything, the girl just wanted to spend as much time as she could with him. Despite her good progress on the Moon Link though, he wouldn't let her get any closer than she already was and it only frustrated the co-leader so she complained to her brother one morning as they were on their way to school.

"Nii-san, I'm being serious here," she pouted as they sat on the monorail together. "I just want him to be happy… He looks a lot better than he was before, but… he's holding something back from the rest of the team and I don't like it."

"He probably has his reasons," Minato sighed. "I thought I told you to not get involved with him."

"He's a Social Link," Hamuko frowned.

"Oh…" Minato paused as he considered his options. "Well it's not something I can get involved with then," he shook his head. "It's your Link, not mine." He sadly looked at his sister. Hamuko sensed he wanted to say something, but he shook his head again as he decided against it.

"Go on, nii-san," the brunette nodded to him. "What is it?"

"Hamuko," he frowned as he carefully phrased his next question, "are you really sure you're not going to heed my warnings?"

"I'm sure," Hamuko nodded. She noticed her brother fidget in his seat before she rolled her eyes at him. "I know about his Reaper, Minato. After that incident with Medea at the hospital, _everyone_ knows about Shinjiro's suppressant medication." The brunette sadly frowned to herself as she considered the medication's side effects. "He was the one who convinced you to not take those pills, right, nii-san?"

"Yeah..." Minato lowered his gaze. "He didn't want me to end up like him..."

"How long do you think he has?"

"I don't know," her brother honestly replied.

"Can you give me an estimate?" When Minato didn't answer her, Hamuko grabbed his hand. "Please, nii-san?"

The blue-haired boy sighed as he closed his eyes. "Given the size and transparency of his Reaper, probably until spring..." _That is... if Ken's Retribution Reaper doesn't get him first..._ He didn't dare make any mention of that though as Shinjiro had forced the Hellhound's hand into not interfering with matters that did not concern him.

 _"Whatever happens with Ken, just leave it to me,"_ Shinjiro had told him the night the older boy moved back into Iwatodai dorm. _"If you don't, don't expect your 'Reapers' to be a secret from the others for much longer."_ Although it had been a threat of sorts, the brunet immediately shared a sympathetic frown with the withdrawn junior. _"This is the only way we can protect the others, right?"_

Minato thought back to Shinjiro's words and sighed. _Even so... why did my sister have to get involved with you?_ He cautiously looked over towards Hamuko and saw she was still letting his response sink in.

"That gives me about half a year with him," she finally spoke up.

"You can't be serious," her brother frowned.

"I am and you can't talk me out of it, nii-san," she adamantly stated, looking into her brother's eyes. Minato stared back into her crimson eyes and noticed a strange mixture of emotions, sadness being among them. "I can't just leave him alone..."

"Hamuko..." The blue-haired boy forced himself to swallow back his pride of being an overprotective brother. "If you've made up your mind... then I won't... interfere..."

A bit surprised by her brother's answer, Hamuko stared at Minato for a while before a small smile appeared on her lips. "Thanks, Minato..."

"Please don't, Hamuko," he knit his eyebrows together. "I..." He clenched his fists together as he knew he couldn't say what he wanted to without breaking his word to Shinjiro. He shook his head as he decided he would do his best for her as he always did. "If anything ever happens, I'll always be your brother, Hamuko!"

Hamuko blinked at her brother's random outburst before laughing at him. "I understand, Minato."

"I hope you really do understand because that totally came out wrong," the older twin sighed as he turned his head away from her out of embarrassment. "I mean... I know I'm not good with these sorts of things... but I really do want the best for you. I also trust you," he nodded. "That's why I'll leave this to just you and Shinjiro-san." He groaned as that also somehow came out wrong. "Damn you, Aragaki..." he muttered under his breath.

The brunette smirked at her overprotective brother's attitude. "Do you really think he's not good enough for me, nii-san?" she asked, curious as to what he really thought of the tall brunet.

Minato gave the girl a soft smile as he honestly assessed the surprisingly dependable teen. "Actually… If things like the Dark Hour and Shadows didn't exist, I'm sure I wouldn't have minded acknowledging Shinjiro-san as an older brother."

Hamuko slightly went red at that. "Really?"

"Hey, what are you blushing for?" the blue-eyed boy frowned at her. "I just mean that I really respect Shinjiro-san."

As they got off the monorail, the younger twin laughed. "And here I thought you were giving me your blessing to marry him."

"H-hey, there's no way I'd let you get married based on that alone," Minato shook his head. "He'd also need Nao-kun's approval."

"Well, that's alright," Hamuko stuck her tongue out at her brother. "I've already given you my blessings for marrying Fuuka-chan. I'm sure Nao-chan would like her too!"

It was the boy's turn to grow red. "W-why are we even discussing this?" He quickly regained his composure as he saw Yukari waving at them from the school gate. "Hey, Yukari," he greeted with a nod.

"You two seem lively today," she smirked back at him.

Hamuko lightly laughed. "We were just talking about—"

"No, that's enough on that," Minato quickly cut her off. He turned back towards the archer and noticed she was thinking about something. "Hey, something up?"

"I was just wondering why Shinjiro-senpai came back so suddenly…" she crossed her arms.

"He's not our senpai," Hamuko mimicked the grumpy older boy. She giggled at her impression. "At least, that's what he's always telling me." She seriously considered the brunet's reason though. "But you're right that it's weird for him to suddenly return." He had seemed so adamant about being left alone when she spoke with him before the semester started. "Nii-san, what do you think?"

"I don't know," Minato lied as he worriedly stared at his sister. "He has a lot of power though," he shrugged.

Yukari nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess. He's kinda scary, if you ask me…"

"He's not that bad," Hamuko smirked as she defended the secretly kind-hearted boy. "He probably returned because he knew we needed his help."

"Yeah, it doesn't seem like he's rejoining SEES just cuz he likes to fight," the brunette mused.

"Well, whatever his reason, let's just be glad we completely outnumber Strega," Minato said to the girls. "We'll have to be careful from now on. Even if they don't have someone with Chidori's or Fuuka's abilities, Takaya and Jin are still out there."

* * *

~12 SEPTEMBER 2009~

"No one else is coming today," Junpei reassured Chidori as he took a seat beside her. "But, they said we can't give you back your Evoker."

"I wasn't expecting them to," Chidori frowned. "That's why they started watching me in the first place."

"Oh, how's that cut doin'?" Junpei lifted the girl's hand and studied it. "Prolly already healed, huh. So, how come you're not drawing today…?"

"Does it matter?" the girl asked him.

"Well, uh, not really…" the capped boy frowned. Junpei spotted the wilting flowers beside her. "Hey, they're all dried up…" He stood up as he wanted to tend to them. "I guess it's been pretty hot lately." Chidori reached out towards them but Junpei shook his head. "It's okay. I'll take care of it…" He paused when a flash of light appeared, reviving the flowers. "Whoa… What was that!?"

"I made them healthy again," the redhead plainly answered.

"You can do that!?" he asked in surprise. "That's incredible, Chidori!"

"It's nothing special," Chidori shook her head. "You have powers too, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, I guess…" Junpei shrugged. "But… That's about all I've got going for me. Without that…" The boy frowned at himself. "I'd be a nobody. I just talk a big game… pretendin' like I'm some kinda hero. But in reality… I don't know what the hell I'm fighting for… or why I'm here at all…"

"Why…" Chidori knit her eyebrows together. "Why we are here…?"

Junpei quickly smiled at her. "When I was a kid, I had this crazy dream…"

"What kind of dream?" she asked.

"That one day, I'd grow up to be a pro baseball player…" the capped boy chuckled. "Pretty stupid, huh? I guess that's part of bein' a kid."

"Is that so…?" Chidori tilted her head to the side as she stared at the boy. "I don't remember much from my childhood. All I remember is… being surrounded by white."

"Huh?" Junpei looked at her in surprise.

"I hate hospitals…" the girl lowered her gaze.

The boy frowned in agreement. "Yeah, me too… I'm sorry…"

She suddenly looked back towards him. "But, I don't mind that much this time… since you come to see me so often."

"Chidori… I…" Junpei gently held her hand. "I understand. I won't let you down."

* * *

Minato frowned as the Den Mother peered into the transparent orb. "The golden sky spreads outside the window," the lady began. "A girl, holding a world of white in her slender arms…" Minato blinked at Chidori's form. "A boy struggles, searching to find meaning in himself and the girl…" Junpei's silhouette quickly wrapped his arms around her. "But the conclusion has not yet been written…" Minato narrowed his eyes on the Reaper watching the two. "It is entrusted to the girl and her white world…" The fortune teller glanced up from the ball and sternly frowned at the boy before her. "You must stand firmly, and watch things unfold…"

The SEES leader nodded. "I see." He stood from his seat and bowed to the fortune teller. "Thank you for your time."

"Farewell, then…" Den Mother smiled at him. "May your future be bright…"

Minato smiled back as he left Escapade. On his way back to the dorm, he thought of his current situation. _I think I've changed… I'm willingly setting aside Shinjiro-san's and Chidori's situations as I believe Hamuko and Junpei are much better suited for those tasks than I am… It could be because I understand their intentions and would completely agree with them if I were put in their situation. I still have my doubts, but I want to believe in them. By doing this, I am able to free myself a bit, giving me more time to spend on Ikutsuki. As such, I will focus on that._

 _We have only three Shadows left and we must finish our job. However, I'm certain that there is more to come after we defeat the Shadows. Pharos has repeatedly warned us of the 'end of everything'. The Shadows' defeats won't prevent this 'end' but they are related to it._

 _Perhaps, they are messengers of the 'end'. This goes in line with my previous thinking that they were trying to tell me something. It makes sense because my memory of the accident is becoming clearer with each Shadow's defeat. Another thing of note is that the Shadows have been trying to invade Hamuko and my minds twice now. The first was with the Lovers Arcana while the second was the Hermit. They must have targeted us because we are tied to Death._

 _This also reaffirms my thirteenth classification of the Shadows. There is indeed a Death Arcana, but whether there will be a Death Shadow, I am still uncertain. There most likely will be and I intend to continue fighting if that is the case. Whatever 'end' it might bring, I will put a stop to it. I've grown so much since the beginning of this year that it wouldn't be right for me to just watch the 'end' come._

 _Now this brings me to question Ikutsuki and Strega. It appears that both parties are connected, but their motives are quite different. Strega operates as a criminal group active only during the Dark Hour. Their most prominent activity is the maintenance of their revenge site. Users of their services pay a hefty amount of money to call a hit on the victim. This means that the main goal of their various jobs is to raise money. This money is most likely used to cover the costs of their medication._

 _Mitsuru-senpai confirmed for me that the source of these pills is the Kirijo Group. Checking Chidori's current hospital records, the cost of these pills is quite high. Someone is secretly dealing Strega these suppressants and it's none other than Ikutsuki._

 _Still, what does Ikutsuki have to gain from their activities? He already has control over SEES, which he has set to destroy the Shadows and eliminate the Dark Hour. No… We aren't exactly eliminating the Dark Hour. We're only exterminating Shadows. I said so before that there must be something more to the Shadows… He knows of the 'end' too and he seems completely fascinated by it._

 _As I previously mentioned, fighting the Shadows coincides with my theory that they are merely messengers of the 'end'. I have no reason to question our operations as each victory we obtain leads to a decrease in cases of Apathy Syndrome._

 _Perhaps, Apathy Syndrome is the 'end'? More Lost appear with each passing month. This makes sense since the Shadows are growing stronger and stronger. But these current Arcana aren't very powerful. In fact, I am certain they are awaiting Death, their master. These Shadows we are currently dealing with are simply a warning of what is to come. The Shadows are separately heralding Death and the 'end'._

 _Ikutsuki is awaiting the 'end' and will most likely interfere when Death arrives. These smaller Arcana Shadows are just a distraction from the bigger show that is to come. Now I understand why he intends to trap me within SEES… He intends to preempt our defeat of Death and bring about the 'end' himself. However, unfortunately for him, I have come this far on my own. I must be careful after the defeat of the Hanged Man… Whatever he plans to do then, I'll have to be three steps ahead of him._

Minato stopped walking as he stood outside the dormitory. He stared at his Velvet Key with a smirk. "Death has cursed and blessed me. It's challenging me and I won't let you get in the way," he chuckled to himself. "I intend to conquer Death, once and for all."

* * *

"Hi…" Pharos smiled as Hamuko sat up. "It's been a while. Three seasons have passed since we met…" The boy held up three fingers and tilted his head to the side. "Time goes by so quickly, and many things change. Yet, some things will always remain the same…" He looked at the girl expectantly. "Don't you agree?"

Hamuko giggled as she agreed. "Some things don't change."

"Yes…" Pharos' smile grew. "If you say so, then it must be." He turned towards the window. "Talking with you has stirred up certain memories…" He pointed towards Tartarus. "That tower for instance. I've been thinking about it lately…" He looked back towards the red-eyed girl. "I wonder… Will our relationship stay the same…? Or will it evolve…?"

Hamuko furrowed her brows. "Can't it do both?"

Pharos chuckled at her response. "That is very much like you to think so." He shook his head. "No matter what the future holds, you and I will be friends. That is for certain."

"Yeah," the girl nodded.

The boy smiled sadly at her before turning his head away. "I'll come again. Until then, good night…" He began fading away. "My dearest…"

* * *

~17 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato and Hamuko shivered as entered the dorm. The older twin violently sneezed and groaned as he could feel his body wanting to shut down on him. "I don't feel very well," he moaned.

Hamuko lowered her brother's jacket from over head. "I told you I didn't need to use your jacket for cover, nii-san. You're definitely going to get si—" the brunette also sneezed. "G-great…" she sighed.

"I'll get towels and blankets right away!" Fuuka cried as she took off towards a cabinet.

Junpei smirked at the two from the couch. "You weren't quick enough, huh?"

"Sh-shut up," Minato glared at him as he gratefully accepted the towel Fuuka handed him. "Thanks…"

"According to the news," the teal-haired girl frowned, "a typhoon just hit. Supposedly, it's the biggest one on record. It's moving slowly, too, so it'll be around for a while…"

"Yeah," Junpei crossed his arms. "Thanks to that, the school festival got canned." He shrugged as he sat up. "Well, setting all that stuff up is a pain, so I don't mind. But, it sucks that we'll be stuck indoors…" He looked over to the blue-haired leader taking a seat next to Fuuka after warmly wrapping himself in a blanket. "So, how are you gonna spend your break?"

"I forgot we had one," Minato frowned.

"Dude, you're killin' me…" He smirked over to his best friend. "You won't let me down, right?"

"I don't really have anything special planned," Hamuko shook her head.

"Are you serious!?" Junpei groaned. "C'mon, we're only young once!"

"Don't worry, Junpei," she eyed the tall brunet working in the kitchen. "I'll come up with something." Shinjiro noticed her gaze and glared at the red-eyed girl, resulting in her smirking.

"Alright then," Junpei nodded. He looked over to the shy junior sitting beside Minato. "What about you, Fuuka?"

"Me?" She didn't expect to be asked too. It took her a while to remember her plans. "Hm… The only thing I plan to do is go to the movies…"

"Ooh, a movie?" The capped boy's eyes grew wide. "Is it a date…?" he teased.

Minato tilted his head to the side in confusion as Fuuka blushed. She quickly shook her head. "It-it's not like that. I'm going with Natsuki-chan. She absolutely loves movies… But with this typhoon, I don't know if we'll be able to go."

"Oh yeah… there's going to be special showings at the theater," Minato said. He sneezed again and groaned. "I'm going to have to miss it, aren't I?"

"How 'bout you, Yuka-tan?" Junpei turned to the brunette at his side. "Will ya still have practice?"

"I doubt it," she shrugged. "The archery range is outside, so it's most likely cancelled until the storm blows over."

"Same here," Akihiko crossed his arms. "This stupid typhoon is gonna mess up my training."

"What about you, Senpai?" Junpei turned towards Mitsuru who sitting in the armchair, reading a book.

"I haven't decided," the redhead shook her head. Suspicious in his questions, she frowned at the junior. "Besides, what business is it of yours, Iori?"

"Me?" Junpei's smile widened. "Well, I'd be happy to tell you about my plans…"

Aigis blinked at the group. "I suspect that you will be visiting Chidori-san. Although she has stabilized, we cannot release her."

"Man, Ai-chan," Junpei smirked. "You must be psychic. And ya know what? She WANTS me to come!" He leaned back against the couch. "Not to brag or anything… I, um… just thought I should check up on her… Ya know, with the storm and all."

Akihiko stared at the capped boy oddly. "What's up with him?"

Minato rolled his eyes as Hamuko giggled. Fuuka smiled at the happy junior as she watched everyone else's reactions. "Um… Well…" She paused when she saw Ken sitting at Junpei's other side, enjoying a mug of hot coffee. "Oh, yeah! Ken-kun. What are you going to do during the break?"

"Oh, nothing in particular…" the boy shrugged.

Minato paused as he saw the retribution Reaper behind the young brunet look over towards Shinjiro. Junpei shook his head at the elementary school student. "Come on, you have to be doing something."

"Well, I'll probably go visit the shrine," Ken said. A faint light appeared behind him, causing Hamuko to turn towards the young boy.

"Dude, you're a kid," Junpei frowned at him, "not an old man."

"But, that's where I always go," Ken explained. He lowered his gaze. "I guess you could say I made a vow…" Hamuko stared at the spirit sternly frowning at the boy, but Ken quickly got up from his seat. "Anyway, I'm going back to my room. I have a lot of homework to do…"

Akihiko, Shinjiro, Hamuko, and Minato all watched him carefully. Fuuka sensed the leader tense up beside her and studied his face. "Minato-kun?"

The blue-eyed boy blinked. "It's nothing," he reassured her. He sneezed again and groaned. "I'm going to bed… Hamuko, you'd better go too. You look like you're coming down with a fever."

"Right," the brunette sighed as she followed her brother up. "Nii-san, I bet I can recover faster than you," she teased.

"That's not even a fair bet," Minato shook his head. "You're healthier than I am…"

* * *

The twins opened their eyes as they felt the Velvet Room calling for them. Minato slowly opened his eyes as the headache he had before quickly subsided. Hamuko quickly sat up in her seat as she noticed her heavy aching body suddenly became light. They both stared at Igor who was pleasantly smiling at them. "I have been waiting for you," the resident of the room began. "I last summoned you in your dreams quite some time ago. Several seasons have come and gone since I first offered my assistance… Now, then… Your special power—Persona… Have you been using it wisely?"

Hamuko looked towards her brother and noticed him smiling. She turned back to the long-nosed man. "Of course!"

Igor nodded to the twins. "To be perfectly honest, I sense a great catastrophe in your future." Minato tilted his head to the side. "But, it would be a pity to lose one such as yourself unnecessarily. Therefore, please allow me to provide you with a new form of assistance." The man drew a pattern on the table, revealing a new card spread. "Henceforth, you shall be able to fuse four or more Personas. I am certain that this will be of great benefit to you."

"Thank you, Igor," Minato bowed his head. "We'll do our best with them."

"But now, you must be tired," Igor studied the hints of sickness on their pale faces. "Please, rest easy… Until we meet again…"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"So why are we going to Tartarus?" Junpei frowned as he crossed his arms.

"Because," Minato said before violently coughing and sneezing. He groaned as it hurt for him to walk. "The Velvet Room is calling us…"

"Are you sure you're not hallucinating?" Akihiko frowned at their leader in worry. "You're pretty sick…"

"No, we're fine!" Hamuko tried to convince them as she took a wobbling step forward. She nearly fell over but Shinjiro quickly caught her.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Mitsuru sternly frowned at the two. "The typhoon might have stopped during the Dark Hour, but with the two of you in this condition, I wouldn't feel right sending you up Tartarus."

"The Shadows are also rowdier today, Minato-kun," Fuuka worriedly piped up.

"We're not going to climb Tartarus," Minato reassured both navigators.

"Then what was the point of you tripping the dorm alarm?" Yukari grumpily asked the boy. "You woke us all up!"

Hamuko laughed as she swayed to the side. "I tripped the alarm!"

Shinjiro grabbed her arm so she wouldn't fall over. "Hey… I can't tell if you're sick or drunk…" He flinched as the girl sneezed into his coat.

"Sorry…" the girl muttered as she tried to wipe his jacket clean.

Aigis studied the twins carefully. "Their fevers are currently 40 degrees Celsius. I suggest we return to the dorm so Minato-san and Hamuko-san can rest."

Ken nodded in worry as Hamuko stumbled again. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard."

Koromaru whimpered. Aigis nodded as she translated. "He says, 'Sleep is the best medicine during times like these'."

"Sorry, Koro-chan," Hamuko smiled. "But nii-san and I have a good feeling about tonight. That's why we're all going to Tartarus!"

"Seriously, what's the point?" Junpei shook his head. "You two want to see this cupcake room thing?"

"Velvet Room," Minato corrected him. He sneezed into a handkerchief and coughed to clear his throat. He entered the lobby of Tartarus and pulled out his key. "This is my Velvet Key," he explained to them. Everyone except Hamuko couldn't see anything in his hand.

"He's definitely hallucinating," Akihiko nodded.

"No, he's not," Hamuko whined to them. "I have a key too. See?" She showed them her Velvet Key.

"So… do we just play along?" Junpei whispered to Yukari.

"Whatever," Minato shook his head as he turned towards the familiar blue door. "Just wait in the lobby for us. Hamuko and I have business to attend to."

The twins suddenly vanished in front of them, causing the team to jump. "Where'd they go!?" Yukari asked in alarm.

"Yamagishi?" Mitsuru quickly turned to Fuuka.

She frowned as she quickly scanned for them. "They're still here in the lobby… But I can't quite pinpoint their locations. They seem to be safe," she sighed in relief. Something scurried past her feet, causing her to jump. "Huh!?"

"Is something wrong?" Aigis tilted her head to the side.

"Sorry… I just thought I saw a spider." Fuuka frowned to herself.

Inside the Velvet Room, Minato and Hamuko stared at the strange concoction offered to them by Elizabeth. Not thinking twice or heeding Theo's warnings, the twins quickly downed the medicine. Minato felt a jolt shake his body.

"Oh wow," he gasped. "That stuff's pretty powerful…"

"On the bright side, it looks like our colds cleared up," Hamuko said with a grimace.

The twins paused as they sensed something was amiss within the usually calm Velvet Room. Elizabeth brightened at the twins' reactions. "Ah… So I was right to call you here. Our master isn't present tonight, but I feel something big is about to happen," the female elevator attendant said giddily. "Exciting, isn't it?"

Theo frowned as he ducked behind Hamuko. "She has been saying that all night while waiting for you two. I'm quite worried something bad might occur due to the typhoon."

At that moment, the rest of SEES appeared within the Velvet Room. "Oh…" Junpei said as he looked around. "So they weren't going crazy…"

"What?" Hamuko crossed her arms as she smirked at her best friend. "Were we acting strange?"

"Your colds cleared up?" Ken's eyes widened. "Wow… You two really are amazing."

Minato tensed up as something really was wrong with this situation. "If you guys are here…" His eyes widened as the elevator lurched. "Everybody, hang on!" The team screamed as the normally rising elevator suddenly began to plummet.

Junpei glared at Hamuko as they fell. "What was that about your 'good feeling' again!?"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Why can't there be a version of Persona Q with Hamuko? Sigh... Oh well... I really liked Q. It was really fun... Of course, I can just be biased because of Chibi Fuuka, Koro, Theodore, Minato, Nanako, and Naoto... So yeah... The completion of a few Social Links. Junpei's really did improve my opinion of him... I still think he's an idiot, but his intentions are pure... Chihiro... I like her but... when I finished her Link for the first time, I kinda got rape-y vibes from her... I didn't actually know that Minato had no say in each relationship he had with a girl... Fun fact: Chihiro's design is a prototype of Fuuka's. It's probably why I like her, but I didn't want to date her... Oh well... Mutatsu is pretty fun. It could just me having too much fun in Escapade though... As for Tanaka? Um... he's kinda sleazy... and I don't really know if he really changed... I mean donating his fortune is a start, but... it doesn't look like his change carried over into Persona 4... Toriumi I always enjoyed though. She's a pretty cool teacher.


	33. Remnants of the Culture Festival

**Author's Notes:** So yeah... Time for another upload. I actually like daily uploads... It gives me a sense of purpose... But because lack of progress in FES is a thing, I really need to slow down. I don't think I'm going to playing FES for a while anyways because Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice is out and it's so good... I only played the tutorial case and it was already loads better than the main gain of Dual Destinies... Anyways, have another filler.

* * *

~23 SEPTEMBER 2009~

"Fuuka," Minato leaned over the couch and lightly rested his chin on her head.

The teal-haired girl giggled as she looked up towards him. "Are you still feeling sick, Minato-kun?"

"No… It's the last day of holidays today," the boy pointed out. "I don't really have plans on how to spend it."

Fuuka smiled at him. "Did you know there's a one-day-only Film Festival today? The promoter said there was so much demand, they decided to hold another one. I guess people liked it!"

"Are you going with Moriyama-san?" Minato asked her.

She shook her head. "Natsuki-chan and I spent the entire weekend at the theater since she would be busy today."

"Would you like to go with me then?" the boy smirked. "It wouldn't be fun for me to go alone."

"Ooh… Go where?" Hamuko suddenly popped up at her brother's side.

Minato immediately straightened up. "Hey, don't butt in like that," he scolded her while hiding his blush.

"Were you asking Fuuka-chan out on a date?" his younger sister teased him.

Fuuka blushed too. "U-um… I was just telling him about the Film Festival today."

"Film Festival?" Hamuko blinked at them both before she spotted a tall brunet coming down the stairs. "Shinji-kun! Let's all go watch movies together!" she called out as she teleported to his side. She clung to his arm affectionately.

"The hell!?" Shinjiro frowned at her before looking at the two juniors in the lounge. "You know your brother's in the room, right?"

Minato sighed as he shook his head. "On a second thought, maybe I shouldn't go out today."

"But I don't want to go alone either, Minato-kun," Fuuka smiled at him.

"Eh?" The boy looked at her in surprise.

"Great, so it'll be a double date!" Hamuko brightly stated.

"Huh?" Shinjiro gave the brunette a confused expression. "Just what the hell is going on?"

"Are we really going to go to today's Film Festival together?" Minato crossed his arms with a frown.

The older boy blinked at him. "Huh? Film Festival?" He shook his head. "I totally forgot they had those… Not that I've ever been to one," he shrugged.

"Come with us," Hamuko begged.

"Wouldn't you have more fun if you went with one of your girlfriends?" Shinjiro asked her.

"But it's a double date," the red-eyed girl whined. "Minato's taking Fuuka-chan so you have to take me," she pouted.

"It's not a date," Minato shook his head before turning to Fuuka. "Is it?" he asked in confusion.

Fuuka blinked at him. "Um…" She shyly smiled at the blue-haired boy. "I suppose it can be…"

"Eh!?" The boy's face was on fire.

Shinjiro shook his head at the two dense juniors. He turned his attention back to Hamuko. "Well, I don't care if you don't."

"Yay!" The girl's grip around his arm tightened.

"Let's go then," he sighed as they passed Fuuka and Minato.

"Nii-san, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko called out to them. "You heard him!"

Fuuka giggled as she pulled the on the stunned leader's arm. "It'll be fun, Minato-kun," she reassured him.

"O-okay…" The boy dumbly followed along and didn't really recover from the shock of the situation until they were finally at Port Island Station. He took a few deep breaths as he studied the list of movies for the day. "Incredible Pet Stories?" He tilted his head to the side.

Shinjiro shared the younger boy's sentiments. "Are we… really watching this?"

Hamuko's eyes widened. "Oh… It's _those_ movies about those small cute animals, right, Fuuka-chan?"

The teal-haired girl eagerly nodded her head. "I've read a lot of reviews online praising them."

Shinjiro crossed his arms. "Well… If this is what you really want, I guess I'm game too." He hid a smirk.

Minato blinked at the older boy but saw the others having fun. He relaxed a bit as he put his hands in his pockets. "If Shinjiro-san's fine with it, then I should be too."

The four teenagers watched the three movies back to back. Minato stifled a cry as the small bunny hopping across the screen was suddenly mauled by the hungry wolf. Fuuka was holding his hand and her grip tightened as the movies continued. At his other side, Minato heard sniffling. He turned his head slightly to see Hamuko consoling a teary-eyed Shinjiro.

At the end of the experience, Shinjiro shook his head as he tried to pull himself together. "The river… It just… washed that dog away…" he said with a quivering lip. "I… gotta go." He hurriedly disappeared into the bathroom before the juniors could see him cry.

Hamuko smirked at how sensitive the older boy really was. "I didn't expect that, did you, Minato?" She turned towards her brother but noticed he was gone too. "Minato?"

Fuuka frowned at her. "He followed Shinjiro-san into the bathroom," she told her.

"Wow…" Hamuko blinked at her friend. "I really didn't see that coming." She smiled at the navigator. "Did you have fun, Fuuka-chan?"

The shy girl nodded her head with a smile. "I'm glad I came. The movies really were good."

"I'm glad to hear that," the red-eyed girl sighed in relief. "I was beginning to think I forced you and Minato to come against your wills."

"Not at all," Fuuka reassured her. "I…" She lowered her gaze as she blushed. "I was able to spend the day with Minato-kun after all…"

"I wonder what else we can do today," Hamuko smirked.

In the men's bathroom, Minato quickly splashed water onto his face. Shinjiro glared at the junior as he dried himself. "If you mention a word of this to anybody…"

"Relax," Minato plainly stared at the older boy. "It's Hamuko you should be more worried about."

The brunet smirked. "Yeah…"

The junior paused as he studied the other boy's face. "Hm…"

"What?"

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Minato said as he wiped his face dry.

"So?" the taller boy scowled.

"That makes Hamuko happy," the blue-haired junior shrugged as they left the bathroom.

"Oh, yeah?" Shinjiro smiled at that. "That's good. She looks best when she's smiling anyways."

 _Shinjiro-san?_ Minato stared at him oddly before he chuckled. _I really don't have to worry about her so long as Shinjiro-san is around._ "This should be enough fun for Hamuko for today," he said with a satisfied smirk. His face suddenly fell as the girls greeted them excitedly. "Or not…"

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka's eyed glowed enthusiastically. "Hamuko-chan came up with a great idea! She wants Shinjiro-san and me to cook for the entire dorm."

"Huh?" The male junior was confused.

"We'll supply the ingredients," Hamuko nodded to her brother.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Shinjiro asked.

"Nope," the red-eyed girl chuckled.

Fuuka paused as she considered something. "I remember the entire dorm making a promise to have a dinner together. I don't exactly know when we made that promise, but wouldn't it be nice for everyone if we kept it, Minato-kun?"

The blue-haired boy sheepishly smiled at her as she stared at him expectantly. "Y-yeah…" He paused as the image of a tall grey-haired boy smirked at him. Beside him was a stern woman who was dressed similarly to Elizabeth. _Huh? They're…_ He tried to recall who they were but the memory quickly disappeared. "We did make a promise, didn't we?" Minato frowned. He nodded his head as he turned towards Shinjiro. "Senpai, you promised Akihiko-san pancakes," he smirked.

"I ain't your senpai," the older boy barked at him before he remembered offering to cook for his childhood friend. "And yeah… I guess so…" He smirked at the twins. "So… You two had better prepare everything. Fuuka and I are heading back to get started on prepping the kitchen. You guys know what you need, right?"

"The ingredients for everybody's favorite foods," Hamuko smirked.

"Then I'm counting on you," Shinjiro smirked back.

Minato nodded his head as he crossed his arms. "No worries, Shinji-nii." The blue-eyed boy blinked as he realized what he just said. "W-wait…" He looked away from the taller boy as his face became red. "S-sorry…"

Shinjiro studied the junior and shook his head. "Whatever. Just don't call me that again." He did his best to fight the happy smirk trying to make its way to his face.

"O-of course, Shinjiro-san!" the blue-haired boy tried to put on an indifferent expression towards the older boy.

Hamuko tugged on her brother's arm. "We'd better hurry. It'll take us a while to get everything we need." She turned back to Fuuka. "Good luck, Fuuka-chan. We believe in you!"

"Yes, I'll do my best!" the brown-eyed girl nodded in determination.

They parted ways and Hamuko stared at Minato oddly. "Nii-san…"

"What?" Minato frowned.

"You called Shinjiro-san…" She wore a small smile.

"Yeah…" he nodded his head. He paused as he considered his actions. _Am I expecting too much from Shinjiro-san? His Reapers are still there but… They temporarily disappear whenever Hamuko is around._

Hamuko quickly pulled him out of his thoughts when she hugged her brother's arm. "Thanks for accepting him, nii-san."

"S-sure," Minato tried to smile back at her. "N-no problem."

* * *

~24 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Fuuka waved at the twins as they approached the school gate. "Good morning!" she beamed at them. "It feels like fall since the typhoon passed, doesn't it?"

Minato took in a deep breath. "My favorite season," he said with a satisfied smirk. "The air is at its most crisp then," he nodded.

Hamuko pulled on the boy's cheek. "It's also the season you often get sick because you love the breeze so much," she pointed out. She looked over to Fuuka. "Which season do you prefer, Fuuka-chan?"

Fuuka giggled at her. "I prefer the spring myself," she told them. "That's when the flowers begin to bloom."

"That's makes sense," Hamuko nodded. "My favorite is winter," she smiled as she tightly hugged her brother. "It's the most romantic!"

"So why are you hugging me then?" the blue-haired boy frowned.

Fuuka lightly laughed at the two before sighing. "Well, I hope the fighting ends before winter comes…"

Hamuko let go of their leader and seriously considered their situation. "I'm sure it will," she reassured them with a frown.

"I hope so…" Fuuka looked at Minato with worry.

The blue-haired boy shrugged as he opened the door for them. "Who knows? The most important thing is that we stay on our guard."

* * *

Toriumi shook her head as she settled the class. "Alright, everyone quiet down! Ahm, there will be no classes this afternoon. However, that doesn't mean you'll be allowed to goof off… You'll all have to work together to clean up the displays and decorations for the school festival. I'll assign you into three groups for the cleanup. The first group will go to the science lab. Your leader will be…"

The entire class groaned as they split into their groups. Yukari sighed as Toriumi placed her in charge of the science lab. "C'mon, let's hurry up and get this over with. Let's break up into groups of two. One person takes down photos, the other binds them together."

"Alrighty," Junpei nodded, pairing up with Hamuko.

Hamuko sternly nodded to her partner. "Let's do this quick."

"Geez," the capped boy shook his head at the girls. "You're so serious all the time. We're allowed to take this easy, y'know?"

Yukari ignored him as she and Minato took down a few pictures. "Sucks for the Photography Club that they took so many pictures and no one got to see any of them…"

Minato sighed as he gingerly took down one of his own photos. "I don't really mind people not seeing them. I'm more bothered by the fact that I painstakingly put in such unnecessary work. I could have been doing something else instead of this, you know?"

Yukari chuckled at him before she spotted a photo of the Volleyball Team. "Oh, isn't this from the summer fellowship?" She gave their co-leader a smile. "Look, here's Hamuko. You guys went to a school in the countryside, right?"

The red-eyed girl nodded. "It was a nice place."

"Lucky!" Yukari looked back at Minato's picture of the inn. "They had a hot spring too, didn't they?"

Minato fondly recalled the peaceful town. "It was a very nice bathhouse they had…"

"I want to go in one too," Aigis stated as she helped them.

"We'll be going to one soon enough," Junpei pointed out.

Yukari looked at the boy oddly. "Are you talking about the school trip? That's in November…" she frowned. "Talk about jumping the gun. I can't believe we're going to Kyoto…"

"Eh," the capped boy shrugged. "It's where everyone goes. I really wish they wouldn't make us go to all the shrines and stuff."

"Yeah, seriously," Kenji said as he came in with Kaz and the cleaning supplies. He crossed his arms and smoothly approached Yukari. "So, Yukari-san. Why don't I show you around Kyoto when we go?"

"Aren't you only into older women?" Minato asked him with a frown.

"How did we jump onto that subject…?" Yukari frowned at the boys. "Anyways," she shook her head as she turned to Kenji, "did you find a nail puller?"

"Yeah, Kazushi brought all of them," Kenji pointed to the track star.

"You've got a bunch to choose from," Kaz responded as he handed her one.

"We just needed one or two…" the brunette frowned. "Aren't the guys in the other classes going to need them too?"

"Oh, y-you're right…" Kaz looked down at the tools he carried. "I'll go return the rest!"

"Uh, well…" Yukari continued to frown at the dense runner. "I don't think you need to go right away. Just if someone asks."

"I-I see…" the boy nodded as he set them on the ground. "Then I'll leave them here!"

Junpei looked at the tools and shook his head. "You know what? I'll take them back. You forgot a few things anyways. Hey, Ai-chan, come with me." He lowered his voice so that Kaz and Kenji wouldn't hear. "The stuff might be heavy so yeah… I might need your help."

Kaz frowned at the archer and capped boy resulting in Kenji chuckling to himself. "You know… When you're with girls… Well, more like when you're with Yukari-san…"

"Wh-what?" Kaz asked him in confusion.

"Nothing," Kenji shook his head as he began taking down a few pictures. He paused as he stared at the various pictures hanging from the stands. "Hey, this is the Photography Club's display." He looked up towards Minato. "Aren't these pictures from the big competition?" He pointed at a photo and pulled on the blue-haired boy's arm. "Look, Minato, you're in this one. Whoa… isn't the guy who took first kinda dark-looking? He looks like he's got a bad suntan or something.

"That's Mamoru," Kaz looked over Kenji's shoulder. "He's crazy strong." The runner crossed his arms and smirked. "Though of course, I'll beat him one—"

"Dude," Kenji sighed at Kaz. "I think you've already taken the sweatiness competition. I've never seen you in the school uniform before. I guess jerseys are better for stuff like this, but still…"

Yukari groaned at the two boys. "Hey, you guys can jabber all you want, but work while you talk. At this rate, we'll be here all day."

Kaz turned to her. "O-oh, sorry." Yukari quickly went to another portion of the lab by herself.

"Hey…" Kenji smirked at the track star. "You're not, like…?"

"Wh-whaddaya mean?" Kaz blankly stared at his classmate.

Junpei sighed as he returned with Aigis. "Ugh, I'm already bushed…" He put down the heavy box. "I brought the stuff. A few more nail pullers, tape, and…"

Kenji quickly swiped a nail puller from the capped boy. "Cool, thanks man!" He paused when he noticed something missing. "Wait, hang on… Did you forget the popping stuff?"

"Popping stuff…?" Junpei stared at the fellow Magician in confusion. "Ohhh! The bubble wrap." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh… Good call, Kenji," he smirked. "Go get it. You know where they keep all this stuff, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Kenji shook his head at him. "You're the one who forgot it."

"Huh? Are you sure?" Junpei's smirk grew. "You really don't wanna go? That place is like a paradise, you know that? Some fine chicas there who'd be just your type…"

"W-wait," Kenji smirked as he played along. "Are you serious!? Be right back, guys!" he called to the others before shaking his head at the capped boy. "Yeah, like I'd fall for that, dumbass. What kind of supply room is stocked with hot babes?"

Yukari cleared her throat in annoyance. "I believe I asked you all to hurry it up so we can go home!" She shook her head. "Ugh, we're never gonna finish at this rate," she complained.

"U-uhhh," Junpei frowned. "Sorry, Yuka-tan…" The girl turned her back on them and the capped boy ended up muttering something to Kenji. "She's like a pissed-off samurai…"

"I heard that," Yukari snapped. "Geez… Are you stupid or something?"

"More like Stupei, I think," Kenji rolled his eyes.

"D-déjà vu…!" Junpei looked at the boy in surprise before sighing. "Fine… I'll go to the supply room later…" The small group scattered as they returned to their work.

Kenji shook his head and sighed. "But yeah… it's a real shame the school festival fell through. There was some hilarious stuff planned. Like a cross-dressing pageant…" He smirked. "They said it would be open to everyone, so I was planning on jumping in."

Junpei's eyes grew wide. "Huh? You, cross-dressing!?" He shook his head. "Oh hell no…" He tried to get rid of the image from his mind. "Nah, no way…"

"You were just imagining it just now, huh?" Kenji laughed. I must've been super cute."

"Where in the world does your confidence come from…?" Junpei sighed.

"Well, I'd be a lot better at it than you," Kenji put his hands on his hips. "You'd just look creepy."

"I don't think you needed to go that far," Junpei shook his head. "I mean, hey," he smirked as he looked over to the boy working beside them, "I'd be cuter than Kaz here, right?"

"Me?" Kaz looked up and frowned at the Magicians. "Why would I…?"

"You hear that, Kaz?" Kenji laughed. "He just said you'd lose. Are you gonna take that from him?"

"Wha…!?" Kaz immediately glared at Junpei. "There's no doubt that I'd be the cutest! I'd be the cutest one in school!"

Aigis shook her head. "I will not lose either at dressing up as a girl."

The SEES members tensed up as Kenji tilted his head and frowned at the robot. "Well, duh. You're…"

"I am a female type," Aigis continued, "so female clothes would be…"

"Okay, okay!" Junpei interrupted her. "Let's just stop there!"

Aigis turned towards a snickering Hamuko. "Hamuko-san, what do you think? Whose cross-dressing would be the most 'super-cute'?"

"Minato, of course!" the girl exclaimed.

The blue-haired boy's head shot up. "What!?"

"Oh," Junpei smirked at the quiet boy. "Now you're getting in on this too!?"

Kenji studied the blue-eyed boy carefully before giving him a nod of approval. "Well, there's no question that he would be 'super cute'."

"Shut up, Kenji," Minato looked away from them as he ducked behind a display to continue working.

"I dunno how you can say stuff like that so easily…" Junpei sighed at the fellow Magician.

Yukari had enough of their antics so shoved herself between them, forcing the group of boys to disperse. "Alright, you better move outta the way. You guys are holding everything up."

"S-sorry," Kaz muttered although he was doing most of the work for the two other boys.

"You know," Junpei smirked as he glanced at the archer. "If you judge just by appearance, Yuka-tan is already 'super cute'…"

Yukari gave him a glare. "What're you trying to say?"

"Uh, nothing…" Junpei quickly looked away.

"He is saying that your personality is not cute," Aigis bluntly said.

"Yeah, I got that," Yukari nodded as her glare intensified.

"Ai-chan," Junpei shook his head as he ducked behind the robot to avoid the archer's wrath. "You gotta know when to speak up and when to stay quiet. If you don't learn, Yuka-tan's gonna give you the evil eye…" The brunette lunged for the capped boy. "See what I mean!? Noooo, stop choking me!" He flailed his arms and managed to grab someone. "K-Kaz! Say something!"

"Y-you gotta use your guts!" the runner shouted with determination.

"For what!?" the capped boy cried.

Minato sighed as he tore the juniors apart. "That's enough. Now split yourselves up before I resort to..." His eyes darted to his two friends not a part of SEES. "Dormitory punishments," he decided to say.

The two juniors tensed up but Yukari immediately let the capped boy go. "R-right, sorry." Yukari quickly got back to work.

Junpei shook his head. "Fine…"

Kenji shook his head. "Man, your dorm must be super strict. Makes sense if it's co-ed though." He shrugged as he continued holding conversation with them. "Anyways, besides the cross-dressing pageant, there were also a lot of cool events I was looking forward to, like a stand-up comedy show…" He smiled at his classmates. "They said it was going to be open mic, so I was planning on trying it out."

"Whoa, really?" Junpei turned to him. "With who?"

"You," Kenji sarcastically replied.

"Dang…" Junpei smirked as he was flattered. He blinked a few times before frowning. "Wait a sec, you gotta let me in on plans like that!"

"Dude, it was just a joke," Kenji laughed. "It was gonna be Kazushi," he nudged the runner beside him.

"Who, me?" Kaz looked at him in confusion. "Hell no," he shook his head.

"Geez, you guys are harsh…" Kenji sighed. "Can't any of you take a joke?" He looked over to the blue-haired boy who was smirking to himself as he worked. "Minato, then."

Hamuko laughed at this. "Minato in a comedy routine? That's a joke by itself!"

Minato frowned at her. "You don't think I can handle it?" He smirked as he stepped forward to Kenji's side. "Bring it on."

"Now that's the spirit!" Kenji nodded. "You wanna give it a little try right here?" He looked at everyone in the room and called for them to gather in the middle of the lab. He cleared his throat a few times before beginning their performance. "Hello out there, everyone. We're the famous comedy duo, 'Kenji Tomochika'!" He bowed.

"A duo of one?" Minato raised an eyebrow. Around them, their classmates laughed.

"Hey, this is going pretty well," Kenji winked at his friend. "Man, now I can't wait for the real school festival."

"It's already over, idiot!" Minato shrugged as more laughter erupted from their small audience.

"What, are you giving up already?" Kenji shook his head. "All you gotta do is sleep 360 more times, right?" He smiled at his comedy partner. "You know what they say… 'Early to bed, early to rise'…"

"Makes you an old geezer?" the blue-haired boy shook his head.

"There you go!" Kenji excitedly beamed. "A great gag like that ends on a high note. Are you related to some chairman I could mention!?" The entire audience, Yukari included, began to laugh. "Hey, speaking of jokes, here's a good one. 'What the? This key isn't working'."

"Key-p trying!" Minato smirked as he found himself having fun.

"That's the lamest joke I've heard in years," Kenji laughed. "You're a Gekkoukan student through and through—I mean, come on!" He triumphantly watched as their audience couldn't contain their laughter. He gave Minato a satisfied smile. "Well… I think that went pretty good, considering we didn't rehearse." He sighed. "Man… What a waste…" He looked over to Yukari and nudged Minato. "Hey, you know what else is a waste? We never got to see Yukari-san in her maid outfit!"

"Huh!?" Yukari stopped laughing and glared at the brunet. "Ughhh… So word got out about that." She sighed. "I'm relieved it never happened…"

"But I bet lotsa guys were really disappointed…" Kenji smirked at Kaz. "Right, Kazushi?"

"Huh?" Kaz looked up in confusion. "R-really?" He frowned. "Wait, what's a maid?"

Junpei jumped in surprise. "A pure soul…!"

"Oh, it's something that…" Kenji tried to explain it to the dense runner, "guys like Junpei dream about."

All eyes turned on the capped boy and Yukari shook her head as if she expected this from the pervert. "Junpei…"

"W-wait a sec," Junpei shook his head.

Hamuko sighed. "Junpei…"

"What's that look for? You act like I did something!" the capped boy frowned at his best friend.

"Junpei-san…" Aigis frowned at him too.

"You gotta be kidding!" he cried. "You too, Aigis!?"

Minato looked up when he sensed someone coming in. A girl's voice called out to them. "Excuse me… is Yukari-san here?"

Yukari turned around and smiled at who it was. "Oh, Yuko-san. What's up?"

"Hey, that tent on the school grounds—is it okay if we put it away in the archery club room?" the Track Team Manager asked.

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Yukari nodded. "It belongs to us anyway… Hey, don't' worry about it, our club will take care of it."

"Oh, it's not trouble," Yuko shook her head. "Our class just happens to be in charge of the grounds. We'll go put it away now. Thanks! See you—" The girl quickly spotted Minato in the back. "Ah!" She quickly walked up to the blue-haired boy. "Minato! Are you feeling better? You had a fever, right…?" she asked in worry. "I heard you were laid up in bed all through break… Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, just look at him," Kaz rolled his eyes. "He's fine."

"Yeah, good point," Yuko frowned. "Well, I'm glad to hear it…" Her eyes widened as she just realized the runner was also present. "Whoa, you're here too, Kaz? You better get to work—an ox like you has gotta pull his weight!"

"Shut up!" Kaz frowned at her. "Isn't it time you got back to the grounds?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know!" She pointed to Minato. "I haven't seen him in a while, so give us a minute."

Yukari looked at the blue-haired boy in confusion. Kenji and Junpei gave each other a sympathetic frown as another girl entered the room.

"E-excuse me! I-I'm sorry!" A younger girl with glasses nervously tried to get their attention. "Um… if you happen to have any masking tape… I-I need to borrow some… if…" Chihiro brightened when she saw Minato. "Oh, Minato-senpai… I'm so glad to see you…" she politely bowed to him. "I'm in charge of the classroom next door, but we're out of masking tape… I was nervous about asking, since I knew upperclassmen were in charge of this room… But it's a relief to see you here, Minato-senpai…" She blushed as she smiled at the older boy. She straightened up as she remembered something. "Um… I saw Mitsuru-senpai a moment ago, and she said… She said Minato-senpai had been sick in bed all this time… Did you… catch a cold?" She worriedly examined her school idol. "Oh, you shouldn't overstrain yourself. If you're not feeling well, don't feel like you have to come to Student Council. But I'm sad that I can't walk home with you for now…"

Minato nervously looked between the girls in the room while the guys gave him sympathetic expressions. _When did it get so difficult to breathe in here?_ Minato thought to himself.

Hamuko covered her smirk as she tried to stop herself from laughing. _Wow… Nii-san managed to get the attention of a lot of girls. They all have a crush on him and he never noticed!_ She noticed her older twin was starting to sweat. "Minato, you look a bit warm," she said with as much concern she could muster.

"Huh?" Yuko frowned at him. "Wait, does that mean—"

Junpei suddenly turned around. _Sorry, Hamuko, but if I let this continue, it's gonna get ugly._ "Uhhh… Whoa, that display over there looks like it could fall off any moment now! Someone's gonna get hurt if we don't fix it right now." He urgently turned to Minato. "Like, RIGHT now." He quickly grabbed Yukari by the arm. "Yuka-tan, c'mon and gimme a hand. I'll take it down if you hold it in place."

The girl looked at him in surprise. "Huh!? Oh, o-okay. Gotcha."

Kaz turned towards Yuko. "Uh… Um… O-oh yeah! Man, I almost forgot! There was something I had to tell the guys in our club. Hey Yuko, can you go tell 'em for me?" He quickly made up something. "Th-the message is… For our next practice… Uh…" He frowned as he said the first thing he came up with. "There'll be no towels allowed."

Yuko frowned. "Huh? No towels? Isn't that going to make things harder?"

"J-just tell them!" Kaz frowned. "It's special training! C'mon, move it!" Yuko shook her head as she left to deliver the boy's odd message.

Kenji nervously chuckled as that only left Chihiro. "Uhhh, we're all out of masking tape, sorry," he shrugged to the first-year student. "There's no more here, haha! Another classroom might have some… Like, next door, maybe…"

Chihiro looked at him in surprise. "Oh, I-I see! I'm sorry!" She gave Minato another polite bow. "Well then…"

Minato blinked as everyone dispersed once more. Kenji sighed in relief as the atmosphere of the room cleared. "Huh… I guess it's a good thing the school festival was canceled. You probably woulda been mauled no matter who you picked to go with…"

"But… I didn't do anything," Minato shook his head and crossed his arms, confused as to what just happened.

Hamuko giggled at how popular her brother was. "You didn't have to," she smirked at him. "I can't wait to tell Fuuka-chan."

"H-hey! Don't do that!" The blue-haired boy panicked.

"Then get back to work," Hamuko ordered. "You'd better help him too, Kenji-san, or I'm telling Rio you're slacking off!"

"Hey!" Kenji frowned before sighing. "Well… We are stuck here until we're finished."

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Ah, yes," Minato smirked at his new armor set. "Finally, a classy outfit for a classy team." He fixed his striped navy tie into a Truelove knot before tucking it under his blue silk vest. Once satisfied with his appearance, the leader elegantly bowed to the rest of SEES. "What do you all think?"

"I ain't wearing this to Tartarus," Shinjiro scowled as he tugged at his stiff collar.

"But you look so handsome," Hamuko pouted.

Junpei played with his top hat. "I feel pretty swanky," he laughed as he launched it off the crook of his arm and onto his head.

"You know, you were fine until you opened your mouth," Yukari sighed. She smirked as she looked over towards Akihiko. "At least, Senpai is fully clothed this time," she said in relief.

"Come on," Akihiko complained as Mitsuru was busy adjusting his tie. "It's just a simple knot, right?"

"Akihiko," Mitsuru sternly frowned at him. "A proper tie needs a proper knot. Now hold still!"

Aigis carefully watched her work. "Perhaps instead of the Eldredge knot, a simple Half-Windsor will suffice."

"I have no idea what that even means," Akihiko frowned when he was finally freed from the Empress' grasp.

Ken frowned at the older boys. "How come I'm the only one wearing a bowtie?"

"Koro-chan's wearing a bowtie," Fuuka pointed out, resulting in a happy bark from the albino dog.

Minato sternly looked at the elementary school student. "You wouldn't look good in a tie." He frowned as he straightened the boy's black bowtie. "If you stand up straight, you'll look a little taller."

"O-oh," the young brunet nodded as he noticed the leader seemed taller than normal. "I see." After fixing his posture, he nervously smiled at the girls. "Is this better?"

Fuuka giggled at the lineup of young men. "You all look dashing," she complimented them.

"So are the boys the only one dressing up today?" Yukari asked.

"I only had enough money to purchase our tuxedos," Minato frowned. "I was thinking it'd be a boys' night in Tartarus." He picked up his sword and pointed to the warp pad. "That being said, let's move out, gentlemen."

Yukari chuckled to herself once the boys were gone. "I think your brother's letting this get to his head."

"That's fine," Hamuko smirked. "I had the same idea anyways." She disappeared behind the stairs and returned with a shopping bag of her own. "I got us all new armor, too! Get changed, girls!"

Mitsuru blinked at the outfit she was given. "Um… I've never worn anything like this before…"

"Yukari can help you," Hamuko nodded.

"B-but…" Yukari frowned at her own set. "Just when I thought I lucked out during the Culture Festival…" she groaned.

Aigis examined the uniform. "If Hamuko-san has ordered this from us, we must."

"Fuuka-chan, I got you a set too!" Hamuko beamed at them. "No one gets left out tonight!" she cheered.

"E-eh!?" the teal-haired girl's face went red.

When the boys finally returned from their adventure in Tartarus, Minato took in a deep breath. "Not bad," he shrugged as he stepped into the lobby. He froze when the girls, dressed as maids, assembled into a semicircle before him.

"Welcome back, Master!" They greeted him with mixed enthusiasm. Mitsuru looked away from the junior as her face went as red as her hair. Yukari wanted to strangle Junpei as he was gawking at them. Hamuko was too busy holding in her laughter while Aigis completely played along with the co-leader's antics. Fuuka blushed as Minato continued to stare at them.

"W-wow," Junpei finally said. "So, uh…" He turned towards Minato and noticed the boy's eye twitching. "You okay, dude?"

Minato took another deep breath. "It's fine," he said through a forced smile. "I should have known something like this was going to happen."

Hamuko rocked back and forth as she her devilish smile grew. "Nii-san, why don't I take everyone up while you play butler with Fuuka-chan?" she teased him.

Fuuka gasped as Minato looked over towards her. She tried to cover the dress she wore with her arms. Minato gulped and quickly turned his head away. _Dammit… Why do you have to be so cute!?_

"It looks like nii-san thinks you look adorable in that, Fuuka-chan!" Hamuko laughed, resulting in Minato trying to escape into the changing area. "Nii-san! No!" She quickly grabbed the boy by his jacket. "You can't back out now! We're all so classy-looking! Just like you wanted!"

"This is _not_ how I imagined tonight's expedition to go," the older twin roughly responded, fixing his coat.

"C'mon, dude! Enjoy it!" Junpei smirked at the sight in front of him. "All of the girls in maid outfits! It's like a dream come true!"

"Pervert," Yukari shook her head at him.

"You can't really be saying that when you've been staring at the boys too," Hamuko giggled. "I mean, just look at Shinjiro-san…" she swooned and purposefully fell into the tall boy's arms.

"H-hey… This ain't funny," the brunet frowned at her.

Uncomfortable with the boxer staring at her, Mitsuru crossed her arms with a slight frown. "Akihiko, is something wrong?"

The boxer coughed into his gloved hand as he quickly turned his head away from her. "N-no. It's just… Uh…" He shook his head. "Can we just get back to training in Tartarus?"

Ken nodded. "I don't really see what the big idea is. We all look nice, right, Koromaru?" The dog jumped up and yipped in agreement.

Aigis tried to explain it to the young boy. "We had a discussion like this earlier at school. Maids are something guys like Junpei—"

"Ai-chan!" Junpei shook his head. "What did I say about knowing when to stay quiet?"

"But Ken-san—"

Minato groaned as things were getting too loud. "You know what? Just take them all and go, Hamuko. Anymore of this and I'm going to get a headache."

"You heard him!" the red-eyed maid triumphantly called out. "Up Tartarus we go!"

When the lobby finally settled down, Minato dusted off his tuxedo. "Finally some peace and quiet." He paused when he realized it was just Fuuka left with him on the ground floor. _Damn you, Hamuko…_

Fuuka blushed as she also realized they were alone. "U-um… Minato-kun?"

The boy shook his head as he lifted his sword over his shoulder. "Don't mind me," he told her with a nervous smile. "Keep an eye on everyone. I'll handle the rogue Shadows myself." He paused for a second before putting on a confident smirk and bowing. "Milady…" He inwardly laughed as the girl's blush intensified. _I guess this isn't so bad after all…_

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So why isn't there an option for Minato to wear a butler suit? It'd suit him... Also, I know Koro doesn't have a bowtie, but imagine if he did. It'd be adorable... Complete filler today because the next chapter, it's an Operation. There's still also some more prep work needed to be done, but... I'm satisfied with how it turned out. Well... See you next week. Time for me to get back to uncovering contradictions!


	34. Fortune, Strength, & The Fool Moon

**Author's Notes:** And now... For the turning point of the game... And another long chapter. Sigh...

* * *

~27 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato smiled as Pharos appeared before him. "Welcome back," the older boy nodded.

"Good evening," the boy greeted him back. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but… there's only one more week until the full moon." He frowned to himself. "I hope nothing serious happens. But, who knows that the future will bring… so be careful."

"I will," the blue-haired boy responded seriously. "I'm already prepared for what might lay ahead of us."

"You seem confident," Pharos smiled at him. "Remember, I'm always watching you. We'll meet again."

When he was alone again, Minato smirked to himself. "Things are falling into place quite nicely. Three more Shadows before Death. I can do this. Everyone is with me and I'll definitely protect everyone."

* * *

~30 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Hamuko blushed as she returned the lost pocket watch to its rightful owner. Shinjiro stared at her in surprise before looking around the quiet lounge. "Let's go for a walk," he sighed as they left the building. Without thinking, he ended up leading them to the shrine, but that was fine. It was empty at night and no one would be able to bother them here. "Where did you find this?" he finally asked as the girl remained silent.

"I stopped by the police office today to check with Officer Kurosawa about those people we saved in Tartarus. I noticed it there and remembered you saying something about losing a pocket watch." Hamuko didn't look at him. "It was engraved with your name and everything so I claimed it for you…"

"I see…" Shinjiro softly smiled. He fondly toyed with the watch as he thanked her. "I thought I'd be fine if I never saw this again…"

The girl gave him a confused frown. "Why not? It seems pretty old and important. Should I have just left it there?"

The brunet chuckled. "Nah, it ain't like that," he shook his head. "It's the only thing I have from my folks. You should know by now that I ain't that sentimental, but I still kept it on me anyways. When I lost it, I thought it was a sign for me to let it go…" He stared into the girl's red eyes. "But I never imagined that you of all people would bring it to me."

Hamuko blushed. "It was nothing, Shinji-kun," she whispered.

The older boy nervously reached into his pocket. "This isn't really to pay you back," he said as his face became warm, "but I want you to have this." He gently lifted her arm up and put on a pink wristwatch for her. "I was hesitating about if I should give it to you or not."

"R-really?" Hamuko studied the silver face of the clock.

"I thought it'd look good on you…" he gently smiled.

"I love it. Thank you…" The girl hugged her arm as she treasured the gift. She gave him a questioning glance. "Why a watch, though?"

"Because, it…" Shinjiro frowned to himself. "It keeps track of time. This is all I could think of." He smiled wryly at her. _Time is precious…_ he had wanted to say. _And I took enough of yours…_ He lowered his gaze as his stern expression returned. "Look after Aki. You know he's an idiot," he told her. "You remember the story about the first fight we ever had?" Shinjiro shook his head at how stupid his younger self was. "It was because… I stole a doll from a toy store. Aki's sister couldn't make any friends. I stole it because I thought it'd make her happy. Aki found out about it and beat the crap outta me… and he was crying the whole time. Afterwards, we both went back to the store to return it… and to apologize for what I did. The toy store's owner smacked us both." Shinjiro tried to put on a smile for the girl before him. "He hasn't changed at all from back then. He's stupid, honest, proud, kind… and a crybaby. That's why someone needs to be by his side."

Hamuko hugged the older boy. "We'll be by his side," she reassured him. "We're all a team. We won't leave anyone behind, Shinji-kun. Not even you… You're a part of everyone too."

 _Not for long…_ Shinjiro frowned to himself, but he returned the girl's hug and rubbed her back. "Yeah… I'll be counting on all of you," he said in relief. "I ain't worried at all," he softly spoke in her ear, "because I know you're with him. I've leaving the rest to you."

Hamuko shook her head as she gripped his jacket. "Stop speaking as if something is going to happen to you. We'll be there to support Akihiko-senpai together, Shinji-kun… No matter what…"

Shinjiro slowly released her from the hug as a breeze blew through the shrine. The tall boy reached a hand towards his beanie to make sure it was secure on his head. "The wind's starting to pick up…" he frowned. "I kinda want to stay here a little longer if we can, but…" He looked at the small girl worriedly. "Aren't you cold?"

Hamuko shook her head. "I'm fine…" she tried to say with a smile, but she began to shiver.

"Hey, you're gonna catch something." Shinjiro smirked as he took his beanie off and put it on her head. He also pulled open his jacket before wrapping her in another warm hug. "C'mere…"

The red-eyed girl blushed as she pressed her head against his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeats. "Shinji-kun…?" she muttered.

"Are you uncomfortable?" The boy looked down to her in concern.

Hamuko shook her head. "I wanted to tell you something…" she frowned.

"It's alright," the boy reassured her. "Anything you have to say, I'll listen."

"Maybe another time…" she smiled to herself. _I love you, Shinji…_ She paused as a flash appeared before her eyes. A new Persona presented itself to her as the great angel Sandalphon bowed to his new charge.

 _"I have heard your call. From now until eternity, you will have my divine protection,"_ Sandalphon said as he returned to her. _"May your smile forever shine upon the Moon…"_

* * *

~2 OCTOBER 2009~

As September quickly came to an end, the twins quickly finished a couple more Social Links they shared. The first was Yukari with her Lovers Arcana. Minato had felt awkward at first barging in on her and his sister's friendship, but Yukari really was kind of like another sister to him. Besides, she completely understood his fears of losing others close to him. Their shared fear actually helped Yukari get over her animosity towards her mother.

One day, as the three went out to get coffee, Yukari blushed as she admitted something to them. "I've been thinking a bit. Finding someone to care for, and loving them with everything I've got…" she smiled to the twins. "And even if I do lose that person someday, I want to be able to cherish that sadness, too."

Minato blinked at that. "But… won't it hurt to never be with them again?"

Hamuko shook her head at him. "Nii-san, it's about focusing on how important the person was."

"That's right," Yukari nodded as the younger twin understood. "I want to really cherish being with them to the point that I won't even have time to feel sad when they're gone… I mean, no matter how sad I'll be, my memories of being with them will never disappear. It doesn't suddenly make the happiness I felt when I was with them a lie…"

"Is that so?" Minato looked to his sister with worry before giving both girls a soft smile. "Well, I guess I can understand then…"

Yukari lightly laughed at herself. "I swore that I'd never get married, but I'm surprised at how my mind's been changed so suddenly… I didn't think it was possible to change that much…" She paused as she smiled to herself. "I… like the new me. Th-thanks," she looked up at the twins. "I think it's because of you guys…"

Hamuko shook her head. "We didn't do much, Yukari. You were our first friend here."

"That's right," Minato nodded. "If we did anything to help, it was mainly because you reached out to us when we first moved into the dorm."

Yukari blushed at the twins. "I used to be jealous of you two…" she admitted. "I wish I could have a reliable older brother like Minato, or even a cool sister like Hamuko, but you guys accepted me for who I am." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She undid the charm strap hanging from it. "Here, I wanted to give this to you…"

Hamuko blinked at her as she flipped the worn charm in her hands. "Yukari…"

"I got it at the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge," the brunette explained to them. "It's been my special keepsake for many years… ever since my dad bought it for me. I used to talk to the toy figurine attached to it when I was alone in my room." She giggled and shook her head. "You must think I'm nuts, huh? But, as time passed… I stopped talking to it. I figured out why… The reason why I talked to my 'little friend' was because I wanted something to hang onto. I figured out… that I was just trying to run away into the happy memories I had."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Minato said with a frown. "So long as you can find the strength to go towards the future, it doesn't hurt to remember the past."

"But I felt like I was using it as a tool to act like a damsel in distress," Yukari told him. "That's why I want you to hold on to it… at least until I stop running." She looked at the siblings with determination. "Until I can go proudly see my mom and the two of us can reminisce about my dad."

The blue-haired boy paused for a moment before giving their friend a nod and a smile. Beside him, Hamuko clenched the charm tightly. "We'll take care of it until then," the red-eyed girl nodded.

"Remember," Minato reminded the archer, "if you need a shoulder to lean on, we're here for you, Yukari. That's what siblings do…" he gently smiled.

"Th-thanks," Yukari blushed at him.

Their next visit to Tartarus surprised the archer when Io resonated with the twins' Cybele. The deity protected the team and took down a dangerous group of Shadows by showering their enemy with a hail of arrows. Seeing the Persona on the battlefield brought a smile to Yukari as she knew she would have to do her best to keep up with the twins' strength.

But their growth didn't stop there as they finally completed the Hierophant Link with Bunkichi and Mitsuko. The siblings had visited them one day and were surprised when the old man revealed to them that the couple was okay with having the persimmon tree removed.

"Recently, I went to visit the persimmon tree," Bunkichi smiled at them, "and I met a student on my way back. He told me that the school is planning to build a new addition. It would be selfish of an old man like me to deprive those young people of new learning opportunities…" He glanced up towards the ceiling. "I think it'd make our son happy, too, since he was a teacher. Helping those kids is more important than hanging on to his memory."

"Will you really be alright with this?" Minato turned to Mitsuko.

"Minato-chan…" the elderly woman smiled at the considerate boy. "You and Hamuko-chan are fine children," she told them.

Bunkichi nodded in agreement. "We're hoping, as we believe our son in heaven is too, that more kind students like you will graduate from Gekkoukan."

Hamuko wiped up the tears that were falling from her eyes. "W-we'll do our best to make sure of it then."

The old man hugged the young girl and placed a round red-orange object in her hands. "Please take this. It's the first fruit produced by the persimmon tree. It's a little rough around the edges, like our son…"

"Thank you," Minato nodded, doing his best to hold himself together. "We'll make your son proud as students of Gekkoukan High."

With the tree's first fruit, the twins released Kohryu from within their sea of souls. The great dragon roared majestically as it submitted to its new masters. The beast showed great reverence towards them and even Shinjiro was impressed by the dragon's devotion to protect the team.

"It looks happy," he smirked. "It sounds like it wants to treasure the feelings you both have for those around you. It's a good Persona for you both."

Minato had only smirked back. "We're not done yet though," he said with a nod. "There are others I need to help to expand on our power."

And it was true when Minato was finally able to summon Surt after bonding with his first friend outside of SEES. Kenji hit a major road bump in his relationship with Gekkoukan's Economy teacher. Although Minato had always suspected the teacher was just using him, Kenji wouldn't listen. When his friend's heart broke though, Minato couldn't help but feel angry that the teacher knowingly strung the poor brunet along.

Kenji held him back though as he began to cry. "I'm okay… I'm okay…" he said as he shook. "Thanks, man…" He brought an arm up to wipe up his tears. "It's not Emiri's fault… I'm the one to blame…"

"She shouldn't have played you like that though," Minato seriously told him. "If you want, I can report her to…"

"N-no…" Kenji sadly shook his head. "Despite it all, I don't want that…" He shook his head. "Why, Emiri? WHY!?" He gave up trying to hold back his tears and began crying. "Oh, man… Now my nose is running…" He wryly laughed as he gratefully looked up to his blue-haired friend. "Hey, thanks, Minato… If you weren't here, I'd…" He couldn't finish his thought as he broke down.

Minato did his best to console the brunet and a few days later, he offered to take Kenji to Hagakure. The quiet junior enjoyed a meal with the Magician as Kenji found joy in his favorite thing in the world.

As usual, Kenji was the one carrying most of the conversation. He was always like this, talking about things that ranged from ramen to the newest show on television, but he finally stopped when he considered his blue-haired friend. "Anyways, I've been thinking… When Emiri left, I was really sad, but I'm not sure what I was sad about… Did I really love Emiri, or did I just love the idea of being in a relationship with a teacher…?"

"So which was it?" Minato asked, finishing his soup.

"I've been thinking about it and thinking about it…" the brunet shook his head. "And I just don't know… But what I DO know is…" he smiled at Minato, "you're my friend."

"Yeah," the junior smirked, "I'm your friend."

Kenji seemed embarrassed at that but he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handmade choker. "Here, man. Take this."

"What for?" Minato accepted it anyway.

"I made it for you, dude," Kenji chuckled. "I thought it would look good on you. You don't have much fashion sense, so I wanted to help you out. I mean, that's what best friends do, right?" He became embarrassed again. "J-just take it, man!"

The blue-haired boy chuckled as he put it on. "So, what do you think?"

Kenji crossed his arms and smirked at his friend. "Yeah, definitely not bad," he nodded. "But we won't know for sure until we get Yukari-san, Yuko-san, and Chihiro-san in the same room again," he joked. "You're a lot smoother than I would have guessed."

"H-hey, I'm not… They're not…" Minato shook his head as he let the brunet have his moment.

Kenji burst out in laughter. "Oh man, your Track skills will come in handy if they ever come after you."

The blue-haired boy smirked. "Well, I'm sure I can count on you and Kaz to lend a hand then." Minato and Kenji laughed as the SEES leader thought of his Chariot Link.

The last Social Link Minato was able to complete as September quickly turned into October was indeed within the Track Team. Kaz's injury was more serious than both boys had previously thought, but the injured runner was too stubborn to accept the surgery. But as practices went on, Kaz noticed the amount of effort Minato was putting forth to cover for him within the team.

After practice ended, Kaz asked Minato to come with him to Wakatsu. There was something important he wanted to say and Kaz gave him a roll of sports tape in case the blue-eyed junior ever needed it in practice. He also revealed that he was going to accept the surgery, despite wanting to keep running. Kaz would have to forget about the national meet next year, despite his dream of sweeping the competition.

"It's not like I gave up or am being selfish…" Kaz frowned. "I don't want the whole team to suffer because of me and my nephew… Even if I managed to win, I don't think I'd feel good about it afterward… Before, all I thought about was winning… But when Coach was grilling you about my knee…" Kaz clenched a fist. "I realized I can't keep thinking only of myself. At the same time, I can't just give up on winning, since that's a part of who I am. But for now, I won't worry about winning races, and instead focus on winning back my health! I can't keep asking for your help all the time… but I do want to thank you for the help you've given me so far."

Minato smirked as he played with the sports tape. "You're pretty strong, Kaz. I know you'll recover just fine. If you ever stumble again, Yuko and I will be at your side."

"Yeah…" Kaz nodded. "I'm sorry to have to leave the national tournament next year to you though, Minato. Do your best and I'll do mine!"

The blue-haired boy nodded as he felt Thor emerge within him. When he was given a chance to test the thunder god's power, a vigorous energy filled the SEES leader. Combined with Hamuko's Take-Mikazuchi, the twins also revealed a new Fusion Spell that wreaked electrical havoc onto the Shadows they faced. The rush of power was intense and Minato felt grateful for his friends.

Not only did he help them with their problems, but he learned a lot too. Minato learned to face the future and grab it with his own strength. And if he lacked the courage to do it himself, he could turn towards Hamuko and the others and they would be by his side. Much like the number zero, Minato felt his potential expand beyond his imagination. Even if the fights were getting more difficult, it didn't quite seem that way whenever the blue-haired boy took the lead as they continued up Tartarus.

The tower didn't seem to have an end, but Minato didn't care. The dungeon called to him and he would climb it until he reached its pinnacle. Perhaps the answers he had been chasing all this time would be there, waiting for him. With each passing day, the boy was beginning to get impatient as he considered this. The 'end' was nearly here and he would finally be able to face Death as the proper 'harbor of courage' he desperately strived to be.

Minato smirked to himself as he exited the Velvet Room. _This is perfect. Four more Social Links complete and I feel better than ever!_ He paused as he passed Escapade and decided to check his fortune. He smirked at the irony as he knew the next Shadow would be the Fortune Arcana.

Den Mother smiled as he approached her. "You seem in high spirits today, bearer of light and shadow. Would you like to know your fortune?"

"Yes, please," Minato nodded, taking a seat.

"Very well… After the storm comes not calm, but another trial…" Minato made out the shape of a roulette wheel surrounded by flowers. "Do not despair, however… I sense strong forces at your side, even more so than before…" All of SEES were gathered together. "Be brave, and confront this hardship with unshakeable resolve…" Minato smirked. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato stood up and bowed, his confidence skyrocketing higher than before. As he started towards the dorm, he fiddled with the Evoker hidden underneath his uniform after turning on his music player. His headphones loudly blared into his ears as he returned to the dorm.

 _"Let's let the summer breeze talk to us~ Go with the flow let's keep on fighting~ Never looking forward or back~ Only looking upward where stars are shining~ Even when I'm lost in the course~ Y'all show me the way like moonlight in darkness~"_

"All the way until the very end~" Minato smirked as he muttered the song to himself. "Spring came to my life with more than one heart after long years of winter. No man's an island; together united we stand on the ground tall. Feel that? Destiny's in our hands cuz what we do comes back someday." He chuckled to himself to dispel some of the extra energy building up within him. "Midsummer knight's dream~"

"You're in a good mood," a voice loudly said, removing one of the speakers from his ears.

The boy quickly paused his music. "Hey, Hamuko," he smiled. The red-eyed girl blinked at her brother before giving him a frown. "What?"

Hamuko studied her brother before shaking her head. "I don't know how to explain it but you seem different…"

"I just visited the Velvet Room and checked my fortune at Escapade," Minato ecstatically chuckled as he looked forward to the next Full Moon Operation. "Things are almost at an end," he nodded.

"Nii-san…" The younger twin became unsettled by the strange glow in his eyes. "I don't like that smirk you're wearing…"

The blue-haired boy became surprised by this. "Why not?"

"It just doesn't seem like you," the girl honestly replied.

"I'm the same as always, Hamuko," Minato frowned and tilted his head. "Besides, in a few months, my investigation will finally be concluded, the Dark Hour will end, and we'll be able to live in peace. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"You're getting ahead of yourself, nii-san," Hamuko scolded him.

"Am I?" the boy paused to consider it. He shook his head as he sternly argued back. "No… I don't think I am. All of my doubts have cleared up. I thought you'd be happy about that…"

"I am but…" Hamuko shook her head. "I don't think this is how I imagined you'd act."

"How am I supposed to act then?" Minato's face scrunched up in confusion. "Hamuko, just what do you expect from me?"

"I expect you to be my brother," the girl sadly looked at him. "It's weird, but I actually miss having you nag me…"

"About what?"

"Everything," the girl frowned. "Me teasing you… My health… Shinjiro…" She wryly laughed at herself. "I didn't think I'd miss my worrywart brother so much…"

"What's the point of worrying?" Minato shrugged. "It distracts me from what's important. I finally have the strength to protect everyone and safeguard the future." He smirked and made a fist. "We're invincible!"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Hamuko shook her head. "That right there… You're getting overconfident."

"I can't help it if that's how I feel," Minato frowned at her. He noticed something was bothering his younger sister. "Hey, are you alright? This feels wrong somehow…"

"Yeah, because I'm the one actively worried about the others," Hamuko sighed. She absently played with the watch she wore. "I have a bad feeling about the next mission…"

"Hamuko," Minato stopped walking. "Nothing bad will happen. Everyone's together after all. I won't allow us to fail either," he said with a determined nod. He carefully watched his sister and paused when he noticed her wristwatch. "Huh? When did you get that?"

"A couple of nights ago," she told him. "It was a gift from Shinji-kun."

"Oh… that's right. You're dating," Minato nodded before knitting his eyebrows together in confusion, "I think…"

"We are," Hamuko sighed as she shook her head at her oblivious older brother. "Actually… about that…" A blush began to grow on her face as she became bashful.

"Hm?" The older brother looked at her with worry. "What is it?"

"Nii-san…" She looked to the ground. "We're not going to Tartarus tonight, are we?"

"If you want to, we can," he shrugged. "Why?"

"Um… can I ask something from you?"

"It depends," Minato stared at her suspiciously.

"Can you take everyone to Tartarus tonight? Without me?"

"Sure…" the older brother frowned to himself. "We could use one last training session, I guess. I should be fine taking the lead on my own." He studied his younger sister and noticed she refused to look at him. "Hey, are you sick? Is that why you're staying behind on your own?"

"Not exactly…" She shook her head. "Um… By take 'everyone' I meant 'everyone but Shinji-kun'…"

Minato blinked at her. "W-what!?"

"J-just for tonight!" Hamuko cried. "P-please!?"

"Y-you know what you're asking of me, right?" the older twin asked as his face went red. "What makes you think I'll say yes?"

"Because I love him," she blurted out without thinking. Both twins were silent for a while before the red-eyed girl shook her head. "I-I m-mean…"

"You love him," Minato repeated as he put his hands in his pockets. He considered things for himself. "Did you tell him that?"

"N-no, not yet," Hamuko shook her head.

The blue-haired boy's face softened. "I see…" He began walking again and Hamuko quickly followed after him. Minato shook his head as he sighed. "Alright then…"

"Huh?"

"I'll take the team up Tartarus," he said with a nod.

"You will?" Hamuko stared at her brother with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Just for tonight," he frowned as he turned away from her. "I… I trust Shinji-nii so… Hm…" He couldn't bring himself to say anything else.

The younger twin smiled as she hugged her brother. "Thanks, nii-san…"

"Ngh…" Minato wryly smirked. "Please don't make this any more awkward for me…"

"Now there's the nii-san I know and love," Hamuko laughed as she tightened her hug.

The blue-haired boy sighed but returned the hug. "I guess…"

* * *

Shinjiro frowned as he noticed Hamuko looking at him expectantly. "You can stare at me like that all day," he shook his head at her. "I got nothing for you. Haven't you wasted enough time on me? What more do you want?"

Hamuko smirked as she scooted her seat closer to him. "I want to talk more with you," she giggled.

"Man, you're weird," the brunet rolled his eyes. "You hungry? I'll make you something. Might as well talk and eat at the same time, right?" He stood up to prepare a simple meal. As they ate and chatted about random things though, Shinjiro noticed the dorm was a lot quieter than usual. He glanced around the lounge and noticed everybody was gone. "Huh? Where the hell did everyone go?"

Hamuko smirked as her brother had snuck them all out when she had Shinjiro distracted. She blushed as she prepared to tell him about her feelings. "Shinji-kun?"

"Yeah?" Shinjiro turned his head back towards her as he gave up looking for everyone else.

"I love you," she bluntly told him.

"Huh?" The brunet looked at her in confusion. His face suddenly went red as he turned away. "D-don't tease me like that!"

"You don't believe me?" Hamuko asked, a bit crestfallen.

Shinjiro noticed her hurt expression and quickly shook his head. "That's… not it, but…" He began scolding her. "I mean, why just blurt out something like that? Here of all places…?"

Hamuko looked at him with determination. "Won't you come to my room?"

"I-I can't do that," Shinjiro stood from the table. His face was red. "I mean, you're… Well, people are gonna get the wrong idea."

"That just leaves your room, then," Hamuko said, standing up.

"Y-you moron," the brunet frowned.

She reached for his hand. "Can I go to your room?"

"What?" Shinjiro shook his head. "You moron. I… I ain't a nice guy. I can't let you in my room. Don't you get it?"

"I know what I'm saying," the red-eyed girl stared into his steel grey eyes.

Determined to hold his ground, Shinjiro sternly stared back. "No way. It's not gonna happen." He faltered a bit when her eyes intensely flashed at him. "Look, you need to watch yourself. Don't bother with someone like me."

Hamuko quickly took the opportunity to hug him. "I still love you, Senpai!"

She was shaking against him and Shinjiro's expression softened. "Idiot…" He glanced around the empty dorm once more. _So… You roped your brother into this mess too?_ He sighed as they started for his room.

Hamuko practically forced her way past his door but as she entered, she was a bit disappointed by how barren it was. The only thing of note was the messy bed and unused desk. Still, it wasn't like she expected much to begin with. The few belongings he had were always on his person.

Shinjiro closed the door behind him and crossed his arms. "So? Happy now? You're always pushing me around all the time…" He looked away from her and glared at the wall. "You're just gonna ignore what I want, huh?"

"Pretty much," Hamuko giggled as she continued exploring the empty room.

"Yeah, well, two can play that game," he smirked as he suddenly embraced her from behind.

"Sh-shinji-kun?" Hamuko was surprised by his boldness. She blushed as she felt his warm breath on her ear.

"This is your fault, you know," he said in a low voice. "I'm all confused. You're all I can think about, day and night." He tightened his hug. "Dammit, this isn't how it's supposed to be…" He slowly let her go and pointed to the door behind him. "You get it, right? Go back to your room. If you don't go now, you're not gonna get another chance."

Hamuko shook her head and hugged him from the front. "I'm not going anywhere!"

Shinjiro sighed as he pulled her closer to him. "You're a real piece of work, you know that…?" He paused for a moment to make sure she wasn't having second thoughts. "I'm gonna make myself clear… I ain't holding back any more."

"That's fine," Hamuko nodded as she looked up at him. "I love you, Shinjiro…"

The brunet stared at her tender red eyes before giving in. He tipped his head forward to give her forehead a gentle kiss. "I love you too…"

* * *

~4 OCTOBER 2009~

Minato stood with his arms crossed as he meditated on the night's mission. He opened his eyes when Fuuka picked up something.

 _"I've located the target…"_ She checked once again to make sure she had the right location. _"It's in the plaza in front of Iwatodai Station!"_

Ikutsuki nodded. "This will be the 10th… Only a few left, but let's worry about them one at a time."

"Assuming they come one at a time," Yukari sighed. She quickly giggled and shook her head. "Just kidding."

 _"Yukari-chan, how did you know!? I sense two of them!"_

"Are you serious!?" the archer frowned. "Me and my big mouth…"

"It doesn't matter," Minato shook his head as he eagerly picked up his sword. "Bring them both on," he impatiently stated.

"Dude, you sound like Akihiko-san," Junpei stared at him.

Akihiko frowned as he glanced around the room. "Where's Shinji?"

 _"He just notified me that he'll meet up with you later,"_ Fuuka told him. _"I didn't ask any questions."_

Hamuko frowned. "Really?" She turned to her brother in worry but he was preoccupied with sharpening his sword. "Nii-san…"

"Things will be fine," the leader said with certainty. "If he says he'll meet us later, he'll meet us later."

Akihiko crossed his arms. "Figures. He's always played by his own rules."

"It's okay," Junpei shrugged. "At least he's coming, right?"

"Yeah," Yukari frowned at him. "Not like someone I know who missed last time."

"Hello?" the capped boy glared at her. "I was tied up, remember!? Sheesh, give a guy a break."

"Wait," Yukari looked around the room again. "Ken-kun isn't here, either… Hey Junpei, go get him. That'll be your punishment for last time."

"Punishment…? What is this, kindergarten?" Junpei sighed as he left the room. "That little shit is more trouble than he's worth," he muttered.

Mitsuru ignored his last statement and looked over the rest of the team. "All right, let's move out. This time, there are two enemies. We'll determine our formation once we arrive."

Minato nodded as he gave his sword a test swing. It cut through the air effortlessly and he carefully sheathed it. "Let's go, everyone," he said, eyes glowing.

* * *

"There they are!" Yukari spotted the Shadows immediately as they arrived at Iwatodai Station. "This is the way we go to school! We've gotta protect this place…"

"It seems like they've been waiting for us," Fuuka frowned.

Mitsuru gave a headcount of their members again. "Where's Amada?"

"He wasn't in his room," Junpei shrugged, "so who knows…"

Akihiko didn't have a good feeling about this. "Dammit, Shinji… Where are you?"

"No matter," Minato shook his head. "We're enough to handle them." His right hand twitched towards his Evoker and sword.

"Um, I think we should hurry…" Fuuka said. "They look like they're about to make their move."

"Alright," Mitsuru looked towards their field leader expectantly. "Let's decide on a team and engage the enemy!"

"Hamuko, Junpei, Yukari, Koromaru, let's go!" Minato called out. He looked towards Fuuka expectantly and his smirk grew as Lucia appeared. "Start scanning!" he ordered as he dove into the fray.

Fuuka nodded. _"I'll keep you informed! Please be careful!"_

Minato's blue eyes glowed as he pulled out his Evoker. "Samael!" A large explosion erupted, damaging both Shadows.

"Starting off with the big guns, huh?" Junpei smirked at the leader's Megido spell. "Well, I can't fall behind! Hermes!" The golden Persona charged the flowery Shadow.

 _"Be careful! They're both immune to light and dark spells!"_ The Strength Shadow began casting a spell and Fuuka gasped. _"Everyone! Be careful!"_

"It's not meant for us," Minato frowned as flower petals surrounded the dog-like Shadow.

 _"I see,"_ Fuuka nodded. _"I don't detect the Fortune one anymore! The Strength one must have done something! You can't attack it right now… Concentrate on the one whose Arcana is Strength!"_

"You heard her," Hamuko called out as she slashed her weapon against the protective Shadow. Koromaru growled and followed up her attack with an acrobatic flip. "Good boy, Koro-chan!"

Yukari cast Garula. "Junpei!"

"On it!" The capped boy jumped into the air and brought his blade down on the Shadow. It toppled over but quickly got back up again. "Tch! It just won't go down!"

"No matter," Minato smirked as he pulled his sword free from the metal fencing surrounding their enemy.

 _"Minato-kun, the Fortune Shadow is acting!"_

"Thanks for the warning!" Minato launched himself backwards to the rest of the team as a large wheel fell from the sky. He watched as it began spinning. "A roulette?"

 _"That wheel's effects depend on where it stops. Red is bad luck… I hope it doesn't come up."_

"Hamuko! You feel lucky tonight?" Minato smirked at his sister.

The red-eyed girl smirked back. "Luckier than you!" She tagged the lever with her naginata to stop the roulette but her smile disappeared when it landed on a red space. "Uh oh…"

A large blast erupted from the team. "Kugh!" Minato landed at the foot of the Strength Shadow. His eyes widened as the female Shadow prepared to use Gigantic Fist on him. Koromaru barked and summoned Cerberus. The leader felt his body get lighter and quickly flipped out of the way. "Thanks, Koromaru!" He fired his own Evoker with a roar. "Melchizedek! Mediarahan!"

"Thanks!" Yukari called out as she got up. She fired her bow a few times at the Strength Shadow.

Hamuko shook her head as she soon recovered too. "What lousy luck," she frowned before calling for Surt. "Ragnarok!"

An explosion erupted from the Shadow and it screamed. Junpei shook his head and pushed Hamuko out of the way. "Look out!" He took the Tempest Slash for her but smirked. "Hermes!" His Persona countered the assault as best as he could.

 _"Another roulette is starting up!"_

"I've got it this time," Minato frowned as he spotted a blue status effect panel. "Here!" He swiped his sword at the lever and watched the pointer land on the exact space he wanted. "Alright!"

The Strength Arcana began screaming in fear. Koromaru herded it towards the group with a low growl. He attacked it a few times before responding to Minato's whistle.

"I'll handle the rest!" The boy smirked as he called Samael once more. "Ghastly Wail!"

"Will that actually work?" Hamuko frowned but her question was immediately answered when the Strength Arcana collapsed to the ground.

"Tch," Minato smirked as he quickly turned towards the Fortune Arcana. "Your turn…"

 _"Um, I detect Fortune again!"_ Fuuka informed them. _"So you can attack that one now! Be careful! It's acting again!"_ The teal-haired girl frowned as she studied the new wheel the Shadow was using. _"That's completely unfair! All of you be careful!"_

Hamuko tried once more to draw luck towards them, but she let out a frustrated groan as a bigger explosion erupted around the team. "S-sorry!"

"Just leave this to me," Minato laughed. "Fate is on my side today," he arrogantly declared.

 _Huh?_ The younger twin watched as the boy recklessly charged forward and swiped his sword against the Shadow. _Nii-san… You're not acting like yourself again._ She quickly shook her head to clear it as Junpei brought his sword up in front of her to deflect the Shadow's Torrent Shot. "Thanks, Junpei!"

"Don't mention it," he smirked. "Just help your brother!"

Koromaru barked in agreement as he cast Sukukaja on the girl. Hamuko used the extra mobility to rush forward to her brother's side. "Nii-san!"

Minato nodded and lifted his Evoker. "Chi You!" His smirk never faded as Vorpal Blade did extra damage. "This is fantastic!" he cried out. The Shadow tried to draw another fortune, but Minato jammed his sword into the roulette. "Sorry, but your fate ends here!" As he forced the wheel to stop turning, he paused as he sensed something was wrong. The Shadow quickly knocked the boy away for interfering with the spinner. "What!?"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko swiped the lever herself and sighed in relief when the Fortune Shadow was hit by a heavy explosion.

Minato crashed into the phone booth near the station and collapsed to the floor. As he recovered, the blue-haired boy blinked as a Reaper flashed in his mind. _What? On who?_ He glanced around but didn't see the sign of Death on anyone around him. He heard the Fortune Shadow laugh at him and his head began to hurt.

 _"You've reversed your Fortune!"_ it taunted him.

"You can't really say that when I'm going to kill you now," Minato smirked as he got back up. He put his Evoker to his head and fired. "Let's go, Atropos!" His eyes widened as the Persona refused to emerge. "Atropos?"

 _"Fortune favors Fortune!"_ The Shadow laughed as it cast Magarudyne.

"Junpei!" Yukari pulled the capped boy back and took the hit, knowing he was weak against wind.

"H-hey, Yuka-tan!" He quickly pulled her back up.

Koromaru swiftly dodged the violent gust before barking. He cast Agidyne before running to Hamuko's side. The girl got back up and shook off the damage she sustained. "Keep going, everyone!"

Minato stared at his Evoker oddly. _My Fortune reversed…? Atropos is a part of the Fortune Arcana… Why wouldn't she come?_ His head began to hurt again and he dropped to his knees. A familiar panic began to rise within him. _A Reaper? No…_ The boy glanced at his team once more. _What's this cold sense of dread?_

 _"You've been taking shortcuts,"_ the Fortune Shadow laughed at him. _"You'll have to pay the price tonight…"_

"Like Hell I will," Minato growled as he forced himself forward.

 _"Minato-kun!"_ Fuuka cried out as the boy didn't notice the large wheel falling from the sky. _"Look out!"_

The boy's blue eyes widened as he tried to push himself back. Junpei quickly grabbed his jacket and jerked their leader towards the rest of the group. Hamuko glared at her brother. "Nii-san! Stop charging ahead on your own!"

"Is that what I'm doing?" Minato asked as he looked down at his Evoker again. He tightened his grip around the gun. "Right. Sorry. Let's do this properly! As a team!" He nodded to his sister. "One last gambit! Let's move!" Minato attacked the lever and watched as luck favored him once more. "Yes!"

The Fortune Shadow exploded again and Yukari juggled it in the air with a Garula spell. Koromaru leapt up and slashed the Shadow before Junpei had Hermes pin it to the ground. Minato pulled the trigger of his Evoker and this time, Atropos responded to his call, casting Garudyne in the process. Hamuko finished the Shadow off with a cry.

"Sandalphon! Akasha Arts!" She felt her head threaten to split open from the pain, but the angel made swift work of the Shadow before bowing to her.

Minato quickly returned to her side and caught her. He stared at her worriedly before scolding her. "You idiot. Is Sandalphon too much for you to handle? How did you even get such a powerful Persona?"

"Shinji-kun," Hamuko tiredly smirked up at her brother.

"Well… You didn't have to—" he paused as the feeling of dread returned. He glanced at the rest of his team once more. _Shinji-nii? Ken? Oh no… I see what the Shadow was hinting at now…_ He scowled as he picked up their weapons. "Let's regroup!"

Fuuka greeted them with a smile. "Good job, everyone."

Junpei sighed in relief. "Man, talk about exhausting."

Aigis studied their surroundings carefully. "This time, those two who call themselves Strega did not interfere."

"It must be because we have Chidori," Yukari nodded. "Anyway, I'm glad everything went well. But, what happened to Shinjiro and Ken?"

Minato glanced over to Akihiko and finally noticed how tense the boxer was. _Shit… I overlooked something,_ the leader thought.

Fuuka quickly got off the communicator. "The Chairman doesn't seem to be too concerned, so he went home."

"Yamagishi," Mitsuru frowned at her, "where are those two?"

"I'm sorry," Fuuka shook her head. "I haven't been able to locate them yet."

"Try again," Minato urgently ordered.

"Nii-san?" Hamuko looked at him worriedly.

"S-sorry… I didn't mean to snap like that," the boy frowned.

Mitsuru looked at the boy oddly before addressing the rest of the team. "Let's return to the dorm, and then go from there." She noticed Akihiko wasn't paying attention. "Akihiko, are you listening?"

"Today is…" Akihiko's eyes widened. "October 4th, huh…"

"And?" Yukari frowned at the boxer.

The white-haired senior ignored her as he turned towards the main street. "Just go back without me. I'm gonna go look for them for a while."

 _Shit… I definitely messed up._ Minato went after him. "Akihiko-san! Wait!"

Hamuko stared at them in confusion before Sandalphon spoke to her. _"You must go too…"_

 _Shinji-kun!_ She took off after both boys. "I'm going with them!" she called out to the rest of the team.

"Senpai…?" Yukari looked to Mitsuru in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Akihiko…?" Mitsuru frowned.

* * *

Shinjiro stopped walking as he returned to the familiar back alley behind Port Island Station. He focused his steel-grey eyes on the small figure before him.

Ken held out his spear threateningly towards Shinjiro. "You came…" The older boy didn't respond as he stared at the young brunet. "I'm surprised you abandoned the operation. Do you know why I asked you to meet me here? Two years ago today…" Ken frowned. "October 4th. That was the day my mom died here. They called it an accident… but it wasn't." He angrily glared at the teenager. "I saw the whole thing… You murdered her!" Shinjiro's silence only infuriated him so he continued. "Since then, it's been one bad thing after another… And all I get from people is sympathy, no matter where I go. What's the point in living…?" He frowned to himself. "I even thought about killing myself… but Mom wouldn't have wanted that. That's why I decided that I had to find her killer—YOU! You said once that you wanted to forget what happened on that day… So, when I found out it was a full moon today, I knew I had to confront you." Ken tightened his grip around his weapon. "Today, Mom is watching over me. I'll make you remember what you did to her!" He let out a frustrated scream. "I'm gonna kill you!"

Shinjiro's eyes narrowed. "Do it," he calmly said.

* * *

Yukari noticed the dorm was empty as they returned. "Huh? No one's here…"

Junpei shook his head. "Anyway, why was Akihiko-san acting so weird? What's so special about October 4th?"

"October the 4th…" Mitsuru took the time to really ponder the date. Her eyes widened as she let out a sharp gasp. "That's right! I was so caught up in the operation that I didn't realize it… This is the day Amada's mother was killed!"

"You serious!?" Junpei blinked at the senior.

"Yamagishi, I need you to find the two of them immediately," Mitsuru commanded. "There's a good chance that they're together. Akihiko must have already realized that… Yuki and his sister must have sensed something was amiss too…"

"I-I understand," Fuuka nodded as she summoned Lucia.

"Umm…" Yukari turned to Mitsuru in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Although her death was officially listed as an accident…" Mitsuru lowered her gaze as she remembered the incident. "We're the ones who killed Amada's mother. It was two years ago, when we were pursuing an unusual Shadow that had escaped into the city… We were in a residential area, but the Shadow was all we were thinking about… Aragaki was still new, and he momentarily lost control of his power… Unfortunately, there was a casualty: Amada's mother."

"No way…" Junpei couldn't believe it. "Are you shittin' me!?"

"Then, to Ken-kun," Yukari's frown deepened with worry, "Senpai is…"

"Amada volunteered to join us," Mitsuru considered. "But, now that I think about it…"

Fuuka quickly interrupted as she located the boys. _"I found them! They're together, and another Persona-user is nearby…"_

"Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked.

Fuuka shook her head. _"No… it's…"_ She gasped. _"It's a member of Strega!"_

"That's not good," Junpei said.

"Ugh…" Mitsuru quickly started for the door. "It's an absolute nightmare!"

"Senpai!" Yukari called out for her but motioned for the other juniors to follow. "C'mon!"

* * *

"Do it," Shinjiro repeated himself. "I won't stop you. You're right… I wanted to forget. That's why I left the group, and tried to suppress my power… But, nothing I did could erase the memory…" He kept his gaze steady on the young boy. "And now, I find myself here—the last place I want to be." Ken frowned but didn't lower his weapon. "It's my fault…" Shinjiro continued. "This is what I deserve. But… let me give you one warning."

"Warning…?" Ken frowned at the older boy.

"If you decide to take my life, you'll end up like me. Just remember that…" the older brunet nodded.

"Is that supposed to change my mind…?" Ken angrily asked.

"Even if all you have now is hatred, one day you'll regret it," Shinjiro calmly spoke.

"Shut up!" Ken snapped. "That's a load of crap!"

Takaya's voice came out from nearby. "He is correct." He stepped out from the shadows behind Shinjiro. "There is no reason for him to feel regret… That is the nature of revenge. Is it not permissible to kill those who are themselves killers?"

"You," Shinjiro frowned at him.

"The loss of Chidori has posed a bit of a challenge for us…" Takaya sighed. "But, we cannot simply ignore your meddling." He pulled out his revolver and pointed it at the boys. "Do not fear. This life is but a stepping stone. Salvation shall be yours…" he smiled.

Shinjiro stepped forward to block Ken from the shot. "What!?"

"You cannot defy fate…" Takaya shook his head. "You shall die… whether or not it is at the hand of this boy." Shinjiro frowned to himself. "You've been taking those pills for some time now… You don't have much longer."

Ken glared at Shinjiro. "What's he talking about!?"

"That's bullshit!" the older brunet defiantly shouted.

"Listen to your body…" Takaya tilted his head to the side. "You know it to be true."

"What does he mean…?" Ken began to shake. "You're going to die…? No matter what I do?" He shook his head. "That's not fair! All this time! I've been waiting for this!"

"The cause of death is not of importance," Takaya shrugged. "Besides, the breath of life is faint in you as well, child. After killing him, you were planning to join him, were you not?" Ken remained silent at that. "Since you are both destined to perish, allow me to do the honors… A slight change in timing shouldn't matter too much."

"Go to hell!" Shinjiro rushed towards the shirtless boy but a shot rang through the air. "Ugh…!" The pain was instantaneous and Shinjiro staggered. "Agh…!"

"N-no…" Ken's knees shook.

Takaya brought the revolver up towards the tall brunet's head. "Now then… With what life you have left, answer me this… There is one like Chidori among you, is there not? This has enabled you to locate and defeat those we wish to protect. Now tell me… Which one of you is it?"

"Ugh… ah…" Shinjiro pressed against his wound. _Damn… I won't let them go after Fuuka…_

Ken gasped. _Fuuka-san…_ He clenched his fists as he thought of the rest of the dorm. _I'm sorry, everyone…_

"What's the matter?" Takaya frowned at the dying boy. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Th-there's… no one…" Shinjiro glared at him.

"Wait!" Ken cried. "It-it's me!"

"Is that true?" Takaya looked over Shinjiro's shoulder towards the small boy.

"Yes," Ken lowered his head. "That's the only reason they let me join."

"Ken…" Shinjiro tried to turn to look at him, "no…!" Takaya kicked the boy to the ground. "Agh!"

"Quiet," the shirtless boy looked down on him. "You had your chance."

"It doesn't matter anymore…" Ken shook his head. "I'll never have my revenge. I have no reason to live."

"I see," Takaya nodded. "So, you have achieved resolution." He pointed his revolver at Ken. "How enviable… Then, you shall be first. Rest peacefully…" He fired his gun, but with as much strength as he had left within him, Shinjiro pushed himself up from the ground and took the shot with his body.

Ken had flinched but when he opened his eyes, Shinjiro was in front of him. "What…? Huh!?"

The older boy coughed as he collapsed to the ground. Takaya narrowed his eyes on the foolish brunet. "What is the meaning of this? Why would you risk your life to save this child?"

Shinjiro glared at him as he heard someone coming towards them. Akihiko cried out when he saw his childhood friend, bleeding from two bullet wounds. "Shinji!"

"How very disappointing…" Takaya sighed. "And now your comrades arrive. Is there any moment of joy they won't intrude upon…?" He turned away from them. "Perhaps another time, then…" He paused as he felt a strong murderous intent. He dodged a lyre that slammed down into the ground.

"Takaya!" Minato angrily fired his Evoker again only to have another Persona refuse his call. "You bastard…"

"Ah… We meet again, Minato Yuki…" Takaya smirked. "A shame your powers could not prevent this tragedy…"

"I'm going to kill you!" The blue-haired boy seethed as he tossed his useless Evoker aside. He thrust his blade forward but missed.

Taking advantage of the junior's blind fury, Takaya slammed his heavy revolver against Minato's head. "Such raw emotion… Will it trigger that Reaper again?" Takaya paused to study the junior, but shook his head before walking away. It would take too long to wait for the boy to recover and even then, there was no guarantee he would summon that remarkable Persona from before.

Minato staggered and fell to the ground. His head rang as he tried to recover. Once his vision steadied itself, the blue-haired boy glared at the ground. _Dammit… I was too weak…_ A voice behind him brought him to the senses and he turned around to see his sister crying.

"Shinji-kun!" she cried as she took off her jacket and pressed it against the gunshot wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Shinji!" Akihiko shook his head. "Shinji, hey! Hang in there!"

Minato got to his feet and saw Mitsuru and the rest of the team running towards them in the distance. Mitsuru's eyes widened at the scene. "Shinjiro!"

"Senpai!" Yukari called out.

"Shinjiro-senpai!" Junpei choked out.

Fuuka stopped running and frowned. "No…" She looked towards Minato and gave him a questioning glance.

Ashamed at his failure, the leader lowered his gaze and clenched his fists. _How could I have let this happen…?_

Shinjiro groaned as he looked towards Ken. "Ken…" The boy remained silent as he stared at the dying teen. "Heh… Why the long face?" Shinjiro smirked at him. "Isn't this… what you wanted?" He tried to take a deep breath but it hurt to do so. "It's alright… Give yourself time… Let your anger be your strength. You're still just a kid, Ken… You got your whole life ahead of ya… So don't waste it…" He winced. "Make it your own… Okay?"

"But I…" Ken shook his head. "I…!"

"Aki," Shinjiro looked at his best friend. "Take care of 'im…"

Akihiko did his best to fight his tears. "I will."

Shinjiro finally looked down at Hamuko who was futilely treating him. She didn't stop trying though as she cried. "Shinji-kun… No…"

"Don't cry… Hamuko…" the brunet sadly smiled at her. He raised a hand on her face and wiped her tears away. "I told you… you look best when you smile."

"Y-yeah…" Hamuko nodded and tried to give him her best smile.

"That's it…" Shinjiro could feel his own tears building up. "This is how… it should be…" He began coughing and it turned into ragged gasps before he lost consciousness.

"Ah…" Ken took a step towards him.

"The hospital…" Fuuka quickly turned to Mitsuru. "W-we need to get him to the hospital…"

"Y-yes, let's waste no time…" the red-haired senior responded. She froze as she looked around the sickly green atmosphere. "It's the Dark Hour… until it ends, the doctors won't be…"

"No…" Yukari shook her head. "Then is he not going to make it!?"

Ken clenched his fists and screamed. "Noooo!"

Hamuko buried her face into Shinjiro's chest as she couldn't maintain her smile forever, especially not like this. Minato picked her up from the ground and hugged her, all the while apologizing to her. Junpei and Akihiko carefully lifted up Shinjiro's body as they all rushed to the hospital. By the time Shinjiro arrived, the Dark Hour ended but he could no longer breathe on his own. The doctors did everything they could to resuscitate him, but the flat cry of the heart monitor revealed to SEES their worst nightmare. Silence filled the dorm that night.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** No bonus scene... Because really... So despite having Hamuko max out his Link, I opted to kill Shinjiro because... I wanted the school memorial scene... I was kinda pissed off at the lack of the memorial scene when I played Hamuko's route... Also... Kinda dark but... Hamuko can still sorta see him anyways... Ngh... But I guess on a lighter note, I might as well put my thoughts on the other complete Social Links... Why did they change the original Lovers Link with Yukari? I mean... I'm glad it's less romantic and not shoved down my throat but... uh... They changed her Link and not Fuuka's? Fuuka's Link is still crap... She deserves a more interesting story but I digress... Bunkichi and Mitsuko... I'm kinda neutral towards them. They're old and I just play the part of a good grandchild because that's how I was raised. Kenji though... Oh... Kenji... Poor, poor dumbass... Totally wish Minato could have hung out with Junpei... As for Kaz, he's also a high school boy... so of course he's a dumbass too for screwing with his knee... Oh, according to the max Social Link schedule, Fuuka should have also been completed too, but... stalling that out for a while longer.


	35. Newfound Resolve

**Author's Notes:** So I know maxing Shinjiro's Link saves him, but like I said, I wanted his memorial scene. My reasoning? Akihiko's resolution is another highlight of the game for me. Having it in the hospital just doesn't cut it for me and my masochistic tendencies. Plus, I'm a lot like Koromaru in that I respect how Shinjiro gave up his life. As much as I didn't want him to die... Oh and so I didn't really have time to complain about this last time, but okay... What was the point of Takaya asking who their navigator was if he was watching SEES during the Hierophant and Lovers Operation? It should have been obvious that Fuuka was the one who was scanning for Shadows especially since in the movie, she was by herself outside the love hotel while everyone else was inside fighting!

* * *

~5 OCTOBER 2009~

As Mitsuru left her room the next morning, she was surprised to see Minato standing outside his sister's room. She gave him a questioning glance before remembering she had allowed the older brother to watch over Hamuko during the night after they returned from the hospital. "How is she?" the senior asked in concern. The blue-haired boy shook his head and looked away. Mitsuru sighed. "I see." She sighed as she knew the others weren't looking forward to class. "Let everyone on the floor know that we'll be arriving to campus together. I'll get Amada, Iori, and Akihiko." Minato silently nodded and the red-haired senior started for the boys' floor.

Ken and Junpei were quick to understand as they went down to the lounge together. Ken couldn't look up at the older students though but Junpei gave the senior a determined nod to not let the boy out of his sight.

Mitsuru moved onto Akihiko but after a few minutes of waiting outside the boxer's room, she took out her master key and let herself in. She was surprised to find the room empty. _Akihiko? Did you already leave?_

She frowned as she went down to the lounge. The girls and Minato followed after her and they all remained silent as they rode the monorail to campus. Worried about her companions, Mitsuru carefully studied the younger students.

Ken sat alone, away from everyone else as he sadly watched Hamuko. The normally cheery junior held her wrist close to her heart as she absently played with the leather strap of her precious watch. To her right was her brother, arms crossed. Minato wore a permanent scowl as he glared at the ground. At Hamuko's other side, Yukari gave her a comforting hug as she rubbed the co-leader's back. Junpei stood in front of them as he tried to give the girl a pep talk. Aigis stared at the twins in slight confusion as Fuuka tried to explain the situation to her, but the teal-haired girl sighed as she soon gave up.

The team walked towards the building together until Mitsuru paused right outside the gate. Ken shook his head as he continued towards the elementary school branch. "I-I'll see you all later…" he muttered.

Fuuka looked to him surprise. "Ken-kun!" She wanted to follow him to make sure he would be alright on his own, but she paused when she no one else shared her concerns. "E-everyone?"

"He'll be fine," Junpei tried to reassure her as he pulled his cap down. "We… should get to class," he sighed.

Mitsuru shook her head at the juniors. "No, head straight for the auditorium. With last night's… accident," Mitsuru felt uncomfortable using that word to describe what had happened, "the school will be holding a memorial for Aragaki… No…" she shook her head as Shinjiro had been her friend too. "For Shinjiro…"

"Alright," Yukari nodded.

"Yuki," Mitsuru looked towards the blue-haired boy. "Keep everyone together," she told him. The junior didn't respond to her though as he glared into space. _Yuki?_ The senior frowned at him before turning towards Yukari. "You'll have to be in charge then, Takeba."

"O-okay," the brunette nodded as she frowned at the team. She watched the Student Council President walk towards the Faculty Office. Yukari shook her head before motioning to the other juniors. "L-let's get going then."

Once in the auditorium, Fuuka frowned as she wasn't in the same class as the others. "I should probably go…"

"Yeah," Junpei tried to give her a smile. "Will you be alright, Fuuka?"

The teal-haired girl nodded. "I'm just worried about…" she glanced at Hamuko.

"We all are," Yukari sighed. "Don't worry though. We'll be with her, right, Minato?" she turned towards the blue-haired boy.

Minato didn't respond as he ignored them. He started down the aisle with Hamuko behind him. Fuuka frowned at that. "Minato-kun…"

"We should go with them," Aigis suggested as she went after the twins.

"Yeah," Yukari nodded. She gave Fuuka one last glance. "We'll see you later, Fuuka." She and Junpei went after the robot.

The assembly began and as usual, the Principal wasn't very impressive. All of SEES remained silent though as they gave Shinjiro their respects. Although the juniors had only known the supposed senior for a short period of time, he had been an important member of their team. He had cooked for them and watched out for them. Even if he never regularly attended Gekkoukan, he was a registered student and had been their friend. It was only right for them to pay attention to the portly old man on stage.

"No words can express the sense of loss we feel as a result of this terrible tragedy," the principal shook his head. "He had a lifetime of opportunity ahead of him… As educators, we are to blame for ignoring his silent calls for help. We lost him to violence before we had a chance to help him realize his true potential… Forgive us… Forgive us for our negligence…"

Minato locked his jaw as his fists clenched. Although much of the man's words were false, spoken only for the splendor of it, there were a few things the principal had said that rang true in the serious junior. His anger only peaked as the seniors in front of him began talking during the eulogy.

"Will this speech ever end…?" a boy groaned. "I don't even know who this Aragaki guy was…"

"I heard he never came to school," the senior next to him said. "Prolly just some punk." Minato let out a low growl. "Anyway, I gotta get home… I have to study for my mock-exam," he sighed.

"Kgh!" Minato bit his tongue to prevent from jumping at them. The boys noticed him eavesdropping and turned back to look at him.

"Hey, you guys know who Aragaki is?" He frowned as he studied the blue-haired junior. "Wait, you're not seniors, so how would you know?" Hamuko let out a sob as she brought her wrist up towards her heart. "Anyway, can you believe this? Scary, huh?"

"Shut up," Minato snapped at them.

"Damn… What's your problem?"

Junpei couldn't take any more of it either so stood up. "Shut up…"

"Huh?" The senior frowned at the capped boy. "What're you doing?"

"I said shut up!" Junpei yelled at them. He wanted to punch the rude senior, but Minato was already on it. "Hey, Minato!" He pulled the blue-haired boy back before the junior got in trouble for starting a fight.

"Let go of me!" the SEES leader violently growled.

"Iori, Yuki, sit down!" Toriumi sharply scolded the two boys before sighing. "I'll never hear the end of this…"

"Tch…" Junpei let go of his friend and returned to his seat.

Minato was breathing heavily but he sat back down too. He stared at his shaking fist and ground his teeth together. Yukari shook her head at the boys. "Just ignore them," she told her two friends. She paused as she remembered something. "Hey… has anyone seen Akihiko-senpai today?"

The blue-haired boy didn't respond. Junpei frowned as he tried to think back on the morning. Hamuko shook her head as she finally found her voice again. "No…"

"He was absent this morning…" the archer sighed. "I wonder if he'll show up at all. I hope he's okay…"

* * *

When classes began, Hamuko's condition began to improve. Toriumi had been notified by Mitsuru that Shinjiro had been a part of their dorm and asked for the teacher to make proper accommodations for the distraught juniors. The teacher understood immediately as Hamuko was rather despondent when she came in. The Composition teacher quickly suggested a seat change between Minato and Hamuko, and now the red-eyed junior was completely surrounded by her friends.

At lunch, Fuuka stopped by to check on them. "Hamuko-chan, are you doing better?" she asked in concern as she sat in the empty seat beside Minato.

Hamuko tried to smile as she placed a hand over her wristwatch. "Y-yeah…" she nodded.

"Don't push yourself too much, dude," Junpei watched her with a frown.

"I won't," the brunette reassured them. She looked towards her brother and noticed his back was turned towards them. He had his head buried in his arms as he was either sleeping or pretending to be asleep. "Nii-san…?"

The blue-haired boy shifted a bit and turned his head to the side to look at her. He was scowling to himself but as he noticed the life return in her red eyes, he gave her an understanding nod.

"You're not hungry?" Hamuko asked. She pointed at the pile of bread on Aigis's desk. "Yukari got some for all of us," she told him. The boy plainly stared at her and the girl frowned. "Nii-san?"

Aigis stared at the blue-haired boy as he returned to his original position. "It seems Minato-san is not hungry. He believes you are the one who needs nourishment most, Hamuko-san."

"Really?" Yukari frowned. "Then why doesn't he just say so?"

"Dude, c'mon," Junpei poked the boy's back. "You alright?" He paused when the leader didn't respond. "H-hey…"

Aigis tilted her head to the side and saw Minato clench a fist. "Minato-san seems to want to punch Junpei-san… He does not want to be disturbed."

"Tch!" Minato suddenly pushed himself away from his seat and stood up.

Fuuka turned to him in surprise. "Minato-kun?"

He momentarily paused before turning away from the brown-eyed girl. He barely took a step away from them when the door suddenly slid open and Mitsuru came in. The red-haired senior quickly approached them. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked them. Minato looked down as she continued. "When you get back today, please meet me in the lounge. You know what it's regarding."

Yukari frowned. "Yeah…"

"I don't expect you to have collected your thoughts," Mitsuru looked towards Hamuko sympathetically. "In fact, I am still at a loss myself…" She turned towards the exit. "I'll see you then." She quickly left the juniors alone.

"It's about Ken, huh…" Junpei sighed. "This'll be a fun meeting…"

"Yeah…" Yukari turned towards Hamuko. "Hey, Hamuko… Let's go home together today."

"Thanks," Hamuko smiled at her friends, "everyone…"

"You're always so strong, Hamuko-chan," Fuuka grabbed her hand. "But please, if you need us, we're here too." She turned towards Minato with a smile. "Isn't that right, Minato-kun?" She paused as the boy was already walking away. "Minato-kun?"

Junpei crossed his arms. "Dude, what's his problem?"

Hamuko frowned. "Nii-san…"

Fuuka glanced at the clock and shook her head. "Lunch is almost over. I'll try to find him before returning to my class."

"W-wait, Fuuka!" Yukari didn't think that was a good idea. "If he wants to be alone—" she frowned as the teal-haired junior was already gone. The brunette turned towards Hamuko. "He's your brother… Shouldn't you go after him too?"

Hamuko shook her head as she vaguely remembered him acting like this before when they were children. "If I talk to him, it's just going to make it worse. Nii-san's just too sensitive sometimes…" The four classmates paused as they heard a frustrated scream coming from the roof.

Aigis immediately stood up. "That sounds like Minato-san… He might be in danger."

Junpei grabbed the robot before she could move. "Aigis… He's alright… He just really wants to be alone," he sighed as he pulled his cap down.

* * *

Fuuka frowned as the students in the hall were whispering amongst themselves. "Was that the Hellhound? Man, he seems pretty pissed… I wonder if something happened to him."

The teal-haired girl started towards the water fountains and passed Natsuki. "Fuuka!" the tan girl called out.

"Natsuki-chan!" Fuuka smiled at her before looking at the stairs. "I'm looking for Minato-kun. Did he come this way?"

Her friend frowned. "I don't think he wants anyone going up to the roof. He pretty much went up there and kicked everyone out." She looked at Fuuka with worry.

Fuuka shook her head. "Minato-kun…" She quickly ran up the stairs. "Thanks, Natsuki-chan!"

"Fuuka, wait!" Natsuki paused before frowning to herself. _Well… Yuki-san seems close to her… She'll be fine…_ She decided to follow her friend up to the roof, just in case.

When Natsuki reached the rooftop, she saw her teal-haired friend carefully approach Minato as he screamed out over the rooftop. His voice sounded hoarse and his face was getting red as his lungs were quickly deflated. He choked on his own scream and began coughing. The blue-haired boy collapsed against the metal barriers as he took in desperate gasps of air.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka quickly ran to his side and pulled him up. "Are you okay?" The boy continued coughing though and the girl decided to take him to the bench. "Here, you should sit."

The blue-haired boy slowly recovered as the girl rubbed his back. He took a few calm breaths before glaring at her. "Why are you here?"

The girl flinched at his expression. "M-minato-kun?"

"Well?" The boy's scowl deepened.

"I was worried about you," Fuuka quietly answered.

"Tch," the blue-haired junior sat back and crossed his arms. He crossed his right leg over his left as he glared out over the roof. "You really should stop coming after me."

"But I made a promise—"

"You're becoming bothersome," the boy coldly stated.

"W-what?" Fuuka's face fell. She shook her head. "B-but—"

"You and everyone else…" Minato set his feet firmly on the ground and rested his elbows on his knees. He clutched his head and he glared at the ground. "So much noise…"

The girl placed a hand on his shoulder. "Minato-kun…"

He quickly stood up and walked towards the edge of the roof. "Stop it!" he snapped at her. The girl flinched at the anger in his voice. Minato didn't seem to notice or care though. Instead, he let out a broken laugh as he stared up at the sky. "You know... I almost forgot what it was like to see someone die in front of you…" Minato sighed before speaking in a derisive tone. "What'd you think of last night, Fuuka? Seeing Shinjiro-san bleeding out like that…"

Natsuki's eyes widened as she eavesdropped on them. _They witnessed his death!?_

Fuuka frowned at the leader's uncharacteristic cold scorn. "Minato-kun…"

Minato clenched his fists. "Why couldn't we save him!?" he angrily asked. "Why couldn't _you_ save him!?" The boy began to shake.

"I did all I could," Fuuka softly replied.

"No, you didn't!" Minato yelled at her. "I told you to scan for him again after we defeated the Shadow!" The boy turned and glared at her. "Or even before that, when Shinjiro-san told you he was going to be late. That should have made you sense _something_ was wrong!"

Fuuka lowered her head. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't bring back the dead!" the boy furiously told her. "Your job was to watch over us, but your negligence cost us."

"Th-that's not true…" the girl shook her head as she felt guilt build within her. "You don't honestly think that, do you, Minato-kun?" She tried to study his face, but he had turned his head away from her.

He clenched his fists. "I never should have entrusted you with that responsibility." He turned back towards the edge of the roof. "What was I even thinking back then? Of course, you wouldn't be able to handle it… After all, people only get in the way," he clenched his teeth. "I'm the only one who can do everything."

"I don't understand…" Fuuka could feel the tears building up. "All this time you've been encouraging me to do my best…"

"Well, it looks like it was a waste," Minato coldly responded as his gaze lowered to his feet. "If this is all you're capable of, then I have no need for you to watch over me."

Her heart shattered as she heard the one person she always relied on for support say that to her. "Is that really how you feel, Minato-kun?"

The boy shook in what Fuuka believed to be anger. "I told you before…" He tensed his shoulders as he shouted. "I don't need anyone else! Especially you!"

"I see…" she slowly stood up. "I'm sorry to be a disappointment to you," she said as she walked away, "Yuki-san…"

Minato waited until he heard the door close behind her before letting out a choked sob. "I'm sorry, Fuuka… Hamuko… Shinji-nii… Everyone…" He let out another agonized wail before grabbing the fence with both hands, pressing his head against the metal bars. "I can't protect anyone after all…" he cried to himself. He wiped up his tears with his arm but more came to replace them. He laughed at how pathetic he was. "It's all my fault… Completely my fault… Some leader of SEES I am…" He hiccupped. "Dammit…! I'm still so weak!"

Natsuki had managed to hide from Fuuka as she returned to the lower floors. She watched as the blue-haired boy cursed at himself and cried. _Fuuka… Your club… Just what exactly do you all do?_ She had a vague memory of the teal-haired girl pointing a gun at her own head but the more she thought about it, the more her head began to hurt. The brunette frowned to herself as she continued to watch the Hellhound wallow in misery. _Yuki-san didn't mean any of that so why would he say that to her?_ Natsuki shook her head as it wasn't any of her business. _No… it is my business… I'll be transferring soon and I can't just leave Fuuka alone in the school. I'll have to talk to him… Fuuka cares about him, after all…_ She wanted to step outside, but the warning bell rang to signal the end of Lunch.

* * *

Akihiko climbed up the stage and stared at the portrait of Shinjiro. "Yo," he greeted the picture with a smirk. "I had the usual for lunch… Ramen tastes a lot better when you're cutting class. Make sure you invite me next time." He turned his back on the memorial. "Say something, will ya…?" the boxer frowned. "Why are you always like that? You're so stubborn. Put yourself in my shoes for a change…" Akihiko turned back around and leaned on the table. "You think it's the other way around, huh?" he challenged the picture. "I guess you're right…" He sighed to himself. "I was too obsessed with power… Ever since I lost Miki, that's all I've cared about… I thought that if I was strong enough, I could protect anyone… But, I was wrong… And now, you're gone too… I'm such an idiot." Akihiko hung his head and punched the table a few times. "In battle, there's always a chance of dying… I knew that! But… I was so focused on fighting that I didn't notice anything else! It didn't matter how tough I was! Look what happened!" Akihiko felt the guilt weigh him down and he dropped to his knees before letting out a scream. He sobbed a bit before pulling himself together. He nodded at Shinjiro's picture. "Yeah, I know… Crying won't change anything, will it…?" He stood back up. "Alright, Shinji… You watch from there with Miki. I still have things to do, right?"

Akihiko paused as he sensed something within Polydeuces. A light flashed before his eyes as a kingly figure appeared before him. _"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Caesar, ruler of the world."_ The great emperor returned into the white-haired boy. _"Whatever it is you must do, I will be at your side. Now and forever…"_

The boxer closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I know that much. I can't carry this guilt forever…" He stared at his fist in determination. "I'm getting tired of it."

* * *

The tension within the lounge was immense. Minato leaned against the partition separating the living room from the dining area. His arms were crossed as the other juniors each took a seat on the couch. Fuuka was sitting as far away as possible from the blue-haired leader, much to everyone's surprise. Beside her was Hamuko, who was looking a lot healthier than she had during the morning. To the red-eyed girl's right was Yukari, frowning at the thought of the meeting. Akihiko, Junpei, and Aigis sat across from them, staring at their friends in worry. Akihiko sternly frowned as he turned towards Mitsuru, waiting for her to start.

Mitsuru sighed as all eyes fell on her. "You all know the reason we're gathered here. We need to discuss how to deal with Amada…" She frowned. "I've already consulted the Chairman. Aigis, bring Amada here."

Aigis stood from her seat and nodded. "Understood."

Fuuka frowned to herself. "It's my fault…" she weakly said, all of the confidence she had gained throughout the year lost. "When Shinjiro-senpai told me he'd be late, I thought it was strange, but I said nothing." Minato clenched his fists. "If only I'd listen to my intuition…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Fuuka," Yukari shook her head.

"Yeah," Hamuko reassured her. "Don't even think that." She glanced towards her brother, thinking he'd also defend her, but noticed he didn't dare glance in their direction. _Nii-san?_

"It's not your fault," Mitsuru told Fuuka. "If anyone should have realized it, it should have been me."

Junpei shook his head. "I knew this wasn't a game… But, I never thought it'd end up like this…"

"There's no point dwelling on the past," Akihiko sternly said. "Shinji's last words were 'This is how it should be'. He was a hell of a guy… He even faced death head on." He made a fist as his eyes glowed in determination. "That's why, from this day forward, I'll face things head on, too."

"That's cool, man…" Junpei stared at the boxer in admiration.

"Senpai…" Yukari smiled.

Mitsuru was relieved to see the white-haired senior taking it well. _He's changed,_ she noticed. She paused as she heard Aigis running down the stairs.

"Allow me to report!" Aigis called to them. "Amada-san is not in his room!"

"He's not!?" Yukari looked to her in surprise.

"There are indications that the window has been pried open," Aigi informed them.

"Ken-kun…!" Fuuka cried out in alarm. She stood up and started for the door.

Yukari stood up too. "Wait, Fuuka! Do you know where he is?"

"Well…" Fuuka frowned to herself. "No… but we can't just let him go off on his own, right!?" She looked at everyone on the team, except Minato.

"So, where do you plan on looking?" Yukari asked her.

"I don't know," the teal-haired girl shook her head, "but we have to find him! He must feel so alone…" her voice went soft.

 _Kgh…_ Minato clenched his teeth.

Hamuko noticed her brother's tense demeanor. "We gotta calm down first," the red-eyed girl sternly stated.

"She's right, Fuuka…" Yukari frowned.

"But…! You of all people should understand!" the usually demure girl cried. She paused as she realized she was taking out her frustration on the archer and co-leader. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Let Ken do what he wants," Akihiko shook his head. "Bringing him back won't change anything… and we can't keep treating him like a kid."

"Akihiko…" Mitsuru looked at the senior.

The boxer didn't back down as he levelly stared at the redhead. "It's his choice," he said. "He's the only one who can decide how he's going to live his life. The same goes for all of us," he looked towards the rest of the team.

 _That's right,_ Minato agreed. _And this is my decision… No matter how much it hurts…_ He stood up and wordlessly started towards his room. He could feel the gazes of multiple people turn towards him, but only one set of eyes burned through him.

* * *

~6 OCTOBER 2009~

"A light has disappeared…" Den Mother frowned. "The shadow grows darker…" Her crystal ball filled with smoke. "But the lost light's will lives on in a strong, new light…" Castor's form combined with Polydeuces's, producing a new Persona Minato had never seen before. "You have reached a turning point… The light has begun to challenge the shadow… Your time is coming… soon… Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato stood and bowed to her before leaving. He stared at his fist and sighed to himself. _Senpai might have found his resolve, but that's not the case for the rest of us. In fact… can I really keep going like this?_ He scowled to himself. _Of course not… Fuuka's no longer watching me after all… What can I do alone? But even if she was by my side, how would I even protect her?_ He groaned as he shook his head. _Why can't I stop thinking about her?_

* * *

Hamuko hung up the phone and sighed. _So a new block opened up, but nobody is in the mood to go to Tartarus. Well, it's not like I want to go either…_ She frowned to herself and played with her watch. _Forgive everything, huh, Shinji-kun? It's hard… but I'm going to try._ She wiped up the tears that were beginning to form before heading to the kitchen. _Things will be different without you though…_ she frowned as she stared at the restocked fridge. _I'll be lonelier too…_ She sighed as she decided she wasn't hungry.

The girl went upstairs but paused on the second floor. Shinjiro's bedroom was right at the beginning of the hall and without thinking, Hamuko let herself in. The brunette frowned at the empty room. It didn't change much from when she was here last. She turned to leave, but noticed a box with a letter on top of it.

"What's this?" she asked herself as she took up the piece of paper. She opened up the container and noticed Shinjiro had neatly packed away his equipment for them. "Shinji-kun…" she sighed as she guessed the older boy had been prepared for what had happened all along. She took a glance at the note and saw that it was addressed only to her. The girl took a seat on the bed before she began reading it.

 _October 3rd, 2009. Dear Hamuko,_

 _You really had to make things difficult for me, didn't you? Well, it ain't like I did much to get you to leave after last night. You're pretty cute when you sleep. It's like you have no worries at all. But then again, that isn't quite true._

 _You're having nightmares of me leaving you, aren't you? You keep muttering things like that in your sleep and you wouldn't let go of me. I had to give you my pillow to hug just so I can write this out for you. I wish I can get rid of your worries, but it ain't right for me to lead you on like that. I'm sorry I can't do anything else except leave you a box of my junk and this crappy letter that I hope you'll eventually read. Actually, I'm sorry about a lot of things._

 _I don't expect to be forgiven for a lot of what I did, but I want you to forgive everyone else. It ain't nobody's fault for what's going to happen except mine. I don't want you blaming anyone else but me. As selfish as that sounds, that's what I want most from you. You can hate me and never forgive me, but don't be angry at the others. They'll still be with you after all; I won't._

 _I'm sure Aki's going to do his best tomorrow. He's always like that. He's too damn proud and headstrong to let someone like me go. He doesn't know a thing about Ken calling me out and I don't plan on telling him. So forgive him if he's too late to save me._

 _Forgive Ken, because even though he hates me with all his guts, it's my fault I drove him into a corner. I killed his mom. There's nothing else I can say about that. What's done is done and this is the only way I can make it right for him. Besides, my body won't last long even if I do survive. Your brother knows that._

 _So, I want you to forgive Minato too. I made him swear to not mention my Reaper to you and Aki. He also probably knows about Ken, too, but I didn't want him involved. It's my problem, not his. He's already got enough to worry about like the Shadows, Ikutsuki, and Strega. Your brother really cares about you, you know. He didn't really like the idea of us hanging out because of my Reaper, but he didn't say anything since he saw how happy you were around me. When he called me his older brother though, I was happy. His opinion means a lot to you, right? He's your brother after all. I'm sure he'll do his job and take care of you once I'm gone so don't drive him away._

 _That said, the most important person I want you to forgive is yourself. Hamuko, it ain't your fault that I'm gone. You might think you should have done more to help me, but you did more than enough for me. I made up my mind about what to do with Ken a long time ago, but before I met you, I thought I had nothing else to live for. I might be walking towards my death tomorrow, but it's something worth dying for. I want to protect everyone with my life, even Ken. If he kills me, I don't want him coming after me so please don't blame yourself once I'm gone. This is how it should be._

 _Besides, you've wasted enough time on me. I know you love me and I love you too, but it's okay for you to move on. A girl like you deserves someone better than me. Someone who is honest to you. Someone who won't leave you behind. You loving someone else won't change your love towards me, so don't worry. I want you to be happy. You look best when you're smiling after all…_

 _So take care of yourself. And watch over the others too. Try to keep an eye on Fuuka so she doesn't burn the dorm down. Her cooking improved but she still can't do complicated things on her own. Also, don't let her feed Koro-chan. Her food might be edible now, but that dog needs a proper nutrition too. That goes for everyone else at the dorm. Honestly, if the Shadows don't get you, all the crap you guys eat will. You should especially tell that to Junpei. I can feel the coming of a heart attack every time I see him making instant ramen every goddamn night. Also, tell Yukari to keep her archery equipment away from the pantry. You know how much her pine resin resembles soy powder? Aki, the dumbass that he is, might mistake it for protein powder one of these days. Without me around, Mitsuru will need the extra help watching him too, so give her a hand if she needs it. And as for Aigis, she might not completely understand what will happen, but I'm sure she will someday. She wants to protect you and your brother after all._

 _All of you are good kids and I know you guys will keep fighting. I believe in you too, so don't ever give up. I hope I don't see any of you again until you've all properly lived out your lives. Treasure the time you have until then. Time is precious after all. It's why I gave you your watch. So long as you wear it, I'll always be with you, so until we can meet again, please keep smiling in that way you know I love._

 _Love, your senpai Shinji-kun_

"Shinji-kun…" Hamuko wiped up the tears that were running down her face as she finished his letter. "It might be a while before I can smile the way you like, but know I'm doing my best, okay? After all… I don't like it when you're sad either." She pressed her lips against the face of her watch. "I'll always love you, Shinji…" She softly sobbed to herself as she remained in the older boy's room. She looked up towards the door when she noticed someone coming in.

"Hamuko?" Her older brother stared at her in concern and noticed she was crying. He quickly reached her side to give her a hug. "Hamuko, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see him again…" she quietly said as she hugged the letter against her chest. She buried her face into her brother's shirt. "I think… I'll be okay now…"

"Are you sure?" Minato looked into her puffy red eyes.

"You don't have to worry about me, nii-san," Hamuko nodded to him. "Shinji-kun wouldn't want me to stay sad forever… He also wants me to forgive everyone for what happened…" she wryly smiled as she lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry," he frowned at her. "I should have told you about Ken…"

Hamuko shook her head. "Shinji-kun explained it to me. It's nobody's fault, nii-san. He made up his mind a long time ago…" She brought her arm up to wipe up the new tears beginning to pool in her eyes. "I just wish... I could have had more time with him..."

Minato sadly watched her sob in front of him and clenched his fists. "I should have done more…" he stated before standing up from the bed and staring out the window. "He meant a lot to you and I couldn't…" He let out a frustrated scream.

"It wasn't your place to get involved, nii-san," Hamuko frowned at him. "This was Shinji-kun's choice. This is how it should be."

"Saying that doesn't make it okay!" Minato snapped at her. He paused and gave her an apologetic frown. "Sorry… I shouldn't be yelling at you. You loved Shinji-nii, after all." He rubbed his eyes as he could feel his own tears forming.

Hamuko noticed something was bothering him so stood up from the bed. She gave him a comforting hug and rubbed his back. "Nii-san, are you okay?"

"You were right about my arrogance," the boy said, not looking at her. "I… I was so focused on the Shadows that I went too far ahead… I couldn't come back in time… And now Shinji-nii is gone and Ken is on his own. I even ended up driving Fuuka away…" He placed his hands on Hamuko's shoulders and gently stepped away from her. "At this rate, everyone will probably leave me," he tried to joke, only to immediately scowl at himself.

"Nii-san…" the brunette frowned as he continued to hang his head. "Just what did you do to her?"

"I told her I blamed her for what happened to Shinji-nii…" He choked back a sob. "She must hate me," Minato wore a painful scowl. "That was my goal, but…" He placed a hand on his chest and winced. "I didn't think it would hurt this much… Usually it's so easy for me to get people to leave me alone… So why is it that this time… it feels like I'm dying inside?"

Hamuko lowered her gaze to her watch. "You're an idiot, nii-san… You should already know why."

"I guess…" the blue-haired boy frowned. "But I guess that's why I did it…" He turned to face the door. "If I didn't do this now, it'll only make things harder in the future for when I do leave her…"

"Will you really be okay, nii-san?" the red-eyed girl sadly watched him.

"It doesn't really matter to me," her older twin responded in a level tone. "I've made my choice after all." He wryly smirked to himself. "It still doesn't make it alright, but… 'This is how it should be'…"

"Nii-san," Hamuko crossed her arms.

"Yeah," Minato sighed. "It's disrespectful to Shinji-nii." He rested his hand on the knob before giving her a small smile. "I'm glad you're better, Hamuko. Shinji-nii really wouldn't want you crying over him. He loved you too much to ever want to see you sad."

As he turned away from her, Hamuko heard her brother sniffling and she sadly sighed. "Nii-san… Just because I lost Shinjiro doesn't mean you should follow after me and lose Fuuka-chan too…"

"Like I said, I've made my choice," the older twin painfully said as he opened the door.

"Just what do you intend to do, nii-san?"

"I… don't know," he honestly replied. "I just… want to be alone for a while. If you need me though, I'll definitely be here for you. You sure you're okay?"

"Nii-san, should you really be worried about me right now?" Hamuko asked with a sigh. Minato couldn't really answer her so shook his head before returning to his room.

* * *

Ken was crouched into a ball as he stared blankly at the ground. He heard footsteps approaching him, but he didn't move. _Maybe this will be how I die…_

Akihiko frowned at the despondent elementary school student. "You look half dead," he said, causing the boy to look up at him. "What are you doing here?"

Ken pulled his knees closer into his chest. "When Mom died protecting me, no one would believe the real reason for her death… To this day, it's still on file as an unexplained accident. That's why I wanted to make it clear… I thought that's what she would have wanted… Maybe then she'd finally be at peace… They said he died by some violent crime, right?" Ken shook his head. "No one knows the truth… Just like with Mom. And once again, I'll be left behind…"

"The dead are never coming back," Akihiko bluntly said. "You have to accept that. You're on your own now." Ken only tensed up at his words. The older boxer shook his head as he turned towards the main street. "I'm not here to drag you back… You can stay in this place until you die, if that's what you want. But, if you still have the will to fight, then come back and stand on your own two feet." He left the brunet, but turned his head to look at the young boy once more. The white-haired senior smirked when he saw Ken begin to stir.

Ken slowly stood up. "He's right…" He turned around and punched the wall with his small fist. "I've known it all along; I've just been lying to myself… I was consumed by hatred… I couldn't face the thoughts of being alone… But… that's exactly what happened…" He punched the wall a few more times. "All this time, I've just been running away…" He stared at his aching hand and before glancing up at the sky. "I've made up my mind… Shinjiro-san… I'll see it through to the end."

He closed his eyes as Nemesis resonated within him. After a bright flash of light, the goddess of divine retribution was replaced by a mechanical-looking figure. _"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Kala Nemi, Rim of the Wheel of Time."_ The new Persona returned to the boy. _"I will walk with you into the future you choose to face."_

Ken closed his eyes to stop the tears from spilling over as he no longer felt the burden of revenge he had forced himself to carry for so long. "I'll be okay now, Mom…" he said with a small smile. "Goodbye…"

* * *

Minato frowned as he was the last one to come to the lounge. Another meeting had been called, but it wasn't as if the situation had changed from the night before. Still, he had an obligation to fulfill. Even if the blue-haired junior had decided to separate himself from the team, he was still a part of their so-called 'family'. He lived there after all.

Yukari shook her head. "It's already been a day…"

"Yes," Mitsuru crossed her arms. "It has."

"So," Junpei looked around the lounge. "Where's Akihiko-san?"

"He said to leave Ken-kun alone," Fuuka frowned in worry, "but I don't know… Maybe we should look for him…"

Mitsuru looked over towards Minato. "What's your opinion?"

The blue-haired boy tensed up as he frowned. Feeling Fuuka's gaze on him, he remained silent. Hamuko sighed. She ended up answering first. "Let's start looking," she suggested.

"You think so, too…?" Yukari asked. "He IS still a kid…"

Minato shook his head at both brunettes. "Just let him be," he finally said. _He needs time too…_

"So, you agree with Akihiko then…" Mitsuru nodded.

Fuuka quickly stood up, a little bit angry at the blue-haired boy. "I can't wait any longer!" she cried. "I'm going right now to—"

Koromaru began barking. Everyone turned towards the dog as he ran over to the front door. Ken smiled at him as he entered.

"Ken-kun!?" Yukari stood up. She and Fuuka hurried over to check on him.

"Thank goodness…" Fuuka sighed. "I was so worried…"

"You were?" Ken looked up towards everyone and noticed the concern on their faces. They all approached him.

"Amada…" Mitsuru gave him a cautious look-over. "Are you able to fight?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I won't run off again."

"You sure?" Junpei eyed him suspiciously.

"I'm positive," Ken said with determination.

"It's alright…" Fuuka smiled. "We can trust him…"

"Geez," Yukari sighed. "Don't make us worry like that, okay?"

"Alright," Mitsuru smiled to the rest of the team. "I'll talk to the Chairman. Get some rest."

Ken hung his head as he approached Hamuko. "Hamuko-san?" He couldn't bring himself to look up at her. "I-I'm…"

The red-eyed girl gently smiled as she hugged him. "It's alright, Ken-kun. You don't have to say anything." The young brunet allowed himself to cry and Hamuko could only rub his back, hoping it would soothe the small child. "Welcome home…"

* * *

"Hello," Pharos greeted Hamuko as Minato slowly turned in his futon. "It's cold tonight. Can you believe it's already autumn? It'll be winter before you know it." He noticed the bags under Hamuko's red eyes. "You seem tired. Did something happen?" he asked the twins.

"No," the older boy responded, turning his head away from the other two.

"I see," Pharos frowned. "If you say so…"

"Nii-san… don't drive Pharos away too…" The girl lowered her gaze as she properly answered the younger boy. "A good friend was…" She had been hugging Pyro Shinji as she slept for the past few nights and she buried her frown into the plush's pumpkin head.

"Is that so?" Pharos looked at his friend in concern. "In this world, people die every day. Until recently, this was the same to me as the blowing of the wind. But now, I see things differently…" His blue eyes glowed in worry as he stared at her. "For the first time, I have friends."

Minato frowned to himself as he stared at the door. "Really?"

The mysterious boy nodded and although Minato didn't turn around to see it, the older boy sensed Pharos's soft smile on him. "Lately, I've become more certain of something… You know the end I've spoken of? Some people refer to it as 'the Fall', but regardless…" he gave Hamuko a grave frown. "It's drawing nearer. Don't you sense it…?" Minato shivered as the Reapers flashed in his mind. Pharos knelt behind Minato as he continued. "We are kindred spirits, you and I, so why is it that only I can remember?" Pharos stared at the older boy in confusion and hurt. "This is a heartrending matter. Is my existence something you are unable to accept?"

"What do you mean?" Minato turned around and studied the young boy's face. "Pharos, you're our friend…" The older boy winced as a sharp pain pierced his skull. A burning car appeared before him and large shadowy creature stood over the wreckage.

"Forgive me if I have said anything peculiar today," Pharos sighed. "Perhaps it is the change of seasons. Of course, our friendship remains steadfast."

Hamuko didn't seem to notice the pain her brother was in as she tried to make sense of the younger boy's words. "Pharos?"

"Well…" The boy began to disappear. "I shall bid you farewell for now. Good night."

After he was gone, Hamuko glanced down at her older twin. "Nii-san?"

He had already crawled back under his covers and turned away from her. "Hm?"

"He's right, you know…" she softly said. "People die all the time… every day… I know it hurts, but… we still have each other…"

"I know…" the boy meekly replied. "That's why I don't want to deal with everyone else… I don't want to go through the hurt of losing them too…"

"Nii-san…" Hamuko frowned. "You're being a coward."

"When am I not?" Minato scornfully mocked himself. He said nothing more as he pulled the covers over his head.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Ken shook his head as he panted. "I… don't think… I can… keep going, Sanada-san…" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"Come on," Akihiko frowned at him. "This is only just a warm up." He paused when the younger boy began throwing up. "H-hey!" He quickly pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to the boy. "You're dehydrated! I told you to drink plenty of fluids today!"

"Sanada-san… can we head back to the dorm?" Ken frowned. "I don't feel well…"

"Yeah," the boxer nodded, lifting the boy on his back. "Just don't tell Mitsuru or Hamuko about this… They'd probably kill us if they found out. Especially Mitsuru," he winced.

"Alright," the brunette nodded as he let the senior quickly take him back.

When they returned, Akihiko tensed up as he saw Minato in the dining area. The despondent teen looked up at them and frowned. "Senpai… Amada-san…"

Mitsuru glanced up at the pair from the lounge. "You're back so soon?" she asked them. She noticed Ken looking a bit tired. "Akihiko… don't tell me Amada is suffering from exhaustion and dehydration… I told you that it was too soon for you two to be training…"

"Oh, no! I'm fine! I got a bit sick while I was out," Ken said, returning to the ground. "Sanada-san was helping me…"

"Y-yeah… it's nothing," Akihiko nodded.

Mitsuru glanced over towards Minato. "Yuki?"

"They're lying…" the junior apathetically said, resulting in the boxer freezing up. "Senpai… you're not going to execute them, are you?"

"Amada, you're free to go. Have Arisato give you a checkup. As for you, Akihiko…"

"No way…" the white-haired senior shook his head. "Come on, Mitsuru. We were only just hanging around the shrine…" He nervously laughed.

Minato quickly stood up. "Amada-san… you shouldn't be here for this… Let's go…"

"Um… okay…" Ken frowned as he followed the junior upstairs. The elementary school student was really tempted to turn back when Akihiko let out a painful scream, but he noticed Minato was also shivering.

"Don't look back," Minato muttered to the elementary school student. "It would just make it even more painful for Sanada-senpai…" he said as he shuddered in fear.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So in the movie, I totally blame Makoto for Shinji's death. If the idiot didn't hesitate in doing his job, Shinji wouldn't have had to die. In the game, I blame Ken. For being a child... Even though he is a child... Also, I really made Minato an emotional mess... Well, that's what happens when you commit one of the greatest sins in Ancient Greek mythology. Hubris really is a thing and although some of the punishments are unwarranted, like Ariadne's because I'm in the opinion that her situation wasn't from her own doing, it's a good thing to keep in mind to never get arrogant. Of course, that doesn't stop me from being overconfident at times, but at least I somewhat prepare myself for the consequences of my inevitable failures... Ahahah... So Minato needs to be punished.


	36. Bonds of Friendship

**Author's Notes:** Uploading this right now because I'm going to be busy tomorrow. Enjoy!

* * *

~19 OCTOBER 2009~

Time passed by slowly for the team as the month went on. Life for the rest of the city continued as usual, but for SEES, it was as if their livelihood had been shattered. Some recovered faster than others, but it wasn't as if those that were okay could callously brush aside everyone else's feelings over what had happened to Shinjiro.

The entire dorm was split on what to do and although he knew it wasn't the best decision, Minato decided to put a hold on all things Shadow-related until after Midterms. This gave the members a choice of either sulking or studying. It was a good compromise and besides, everyone at the dorm knew the blue-haired leader was having problems with their navigator. There really was no point going to Tartarus when the two were purposefully avoiding each other.

Hamuko even went out of her way to apologize to Fuuka on her brother's behalf. "He didn't mean any of that, Fuuka-chan," she pleaded to her. "You know he really blames himself… This is just how he copes with grief…"

"He doesn't want me by his side anymore," the teal-haired girl dejectedly told her. "If he wants to be alone, I shouldn't bother him…"

"But you promised—"

"Minato-kun doesn't care about that promise, so I shouldn't either…" Judging by Fuuka's expression, it must have killed her to say that.

Hamuko told Minato about this, but her brother curled up into a ball in his bed. "I don't care…?" he painfully asked. "Yeah… Okay… I don't care…" He winced as the pain in his chest intensified. "Fuuka definitely hates me… Please stop trying to rub salt into my wounds…"

"Nii-san, if you really do care, do something about it!" she scolded him.

"I can't…" Minato whimpered. "I just need to put up with this for a few more months and we'll be moving away again. Fuuka won't have to deal with me ever again after that… That's a good plan, right?"

Hamuko continued this back and forth between them for a while before it proved to be too much for her. The red-eyed co-leader managed to isolate the problem though. For Fuuka, her harbor of courage was gone, resulting in a slight regression in her confidence. This was most apparent when Fuuka tried multiple times to bake something as a peace offering for their leader. The entire dorm lost count of the times the smoke detectors went off during the past weeks, but they finally had enough when Junpei and Akihiko had to put out a small flame originating from the freezer of all places. Seeing how Mitsuru had her banned from the kitchen for the rest of the month, there was nothing left for the navigator to do except bury herself in her studies. The rest of the dorm did check up on her once in a while though to cheer her up and Fuuka was grateful for their kindness.

 _At least she's knows she can rely on the rest of the dorm to help her,_ Hamuko thought to herself. _That's more than I can say for nii-san._

For the co-leader's stupid brother, he was once again caught up in his fear of Death, or rather a variation of it. Unable to face the reality that his arrogance may have led to Shinjiro's death, he shut himself away from the rest of the dorm. He only allowed Hamuko into his small isolated bubble as she was immune to his 'curse'. He didn't want it affecting the others after all and in this way, it especially wouldn't reach Fuuka. This made things difficult though as the boy was extremely confused as to why he was so hung up over this.

"If you haven't realized it by now, you're never going to realize it ever," Hamuko sighed. "I'll just tell you now to save you the trouble. I think you're in love with Fuuka-chan."

Minato coarsely laughed at that. "Love?" He was in complete denial and his fears didn't exactly help to improve his mental state. "I don't love, Hamuko. I just care very deeply… Love is a rather strong word in this context, don't you think?"

"You love me," his younger sister shrugged.

"You're my sister. Of course I love you."

"It's really not that different from you loving Fuuka-chan," Hamuko sighed. "I loved Shinjiro after all," she reminded him.

Minato fell silent at that and he fell into his depression again. "That's right… You did…" He rolled onto his side so that his back was towards his bedroom door. "I see… So I might love Fuuka… I guess it's even more important that I stay away from her then."

"Nii-san!" the red-eyed girl angrily shook her head at him. "That's stupid!"

"Is it?" he asked. "I trusted Shinji-nii with you and look how well that turned out. I don't think I can trust myself with Fuuka… This pain I feel… Is it weird that I'm beginning to welcome it now that I know I might love her?"

"So you're going to live with a broken heart for the rest of the year?" Hamuko sadly asked him.

"Why not? It beats having to break her heart or have her die in front of me…" Minato sulked. "If I think about it like that, I don't mind bearing this pain…"

"That's a pretty sad life, nii-san…"

"Sad is me going through life without reason… And that was me last year… I've changed since then…"

"That's true," Hamuko nodded her head in slight agreement before coolly chastising her brother, "but if you really did change, you wouldn't be insulting Fuuka-chan's own feelings with your cowardice." She waited for her words to sink in and noticed he had tensed up again. Glad her point was getting across to him she turned to leave his room. "The same goes for the others, Minato. Mitsuru-senpai says that if you don't shape up after Midterms, she's removing you as leader."

That was the end of that conversation as Minato became the silent brooding teenager he usually was whenever things didn't go his way. He fell back into his older habits of avoiding people. The school had attributed his attitude to the stress of the school year, but all of his friends, even the ones outside SEES, knew differently. He was the Gekkoukan Hellhound, a loyal worker with a lot on his mind. He just needed time to sort it all out, but that meant giving him his space. Besides, if they absolutely needed him, he'd be there to help them. Until then, it was best to leave him alone on the rooftop, asleep and listening to music during the Lunch period.

 _"I walk~ I walk this dark valley~ Cold wind blows out the light of joy~ In starless sky~ I rejoice our memories~ Strength that stays in my heart~"_ Minato stopped humming and opened an eye when he felt someone standing over him. He slowly sat up on the bench when he realized it was Natsuki. "Moriyama-san?"

"Sorry to bother you," she frowned at him, "but I wanted to talk with you about something."

"Okay…" Minato stood up and gave up his seat to her. He leaned back against the fence and shook sleep from his system. "It's been a while since we last spoke," he said. He tilted his head to the side. "As I recall, that was back in June? We were in the hospital."

"Yeah…" Natsuki nodded. "Back then, we were both waiting for Fuuka to wake up." She noticed Minato frown to himself when she mentioned her best friend. "Actually… I wanted to talk to you about her…"

"Huh?" The blue-haired boy shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea… If something is bothering Yamagishi, it'd be better to go to Hamuko about it. I'm… not all that close to her…"

"You don't have to lie, Yuki-san," Natsuki told him as she noticed his pained expression. "I saw you talking to Fuuka here a few weeks ago."

"Then you should know we haven't spoken to each other since then," the Hellhound frowned.

"I saw you crying afterwards," the girl added.

"W-what?" Minato's cheeks turned red. "That's ridiculous… I mean… I wasn't…" Realizing he wasn't getting out of this so easily, he crossed his arms and cleared his throat. "I see…" He awkwardly cast his gaze elsewhere. "So, what is it?"

"Fuuka's been down lately and I guess it's because of what happened then," Natsuki sadly frowned. "I've never seen her so depressed. What you said… it hurt her a lot."

"I know…" Minato lowered his gaze.

"Then why would you say those things?" Natsuki asked him. "I thought you were her friend. She talks about you a lot whenever we hang out."

"She does?" The blue-haired boy was surprised at that.

"She says you're the bravest person she knows," the girl nodded. "You're the one who inspires her to try her hardest. So why would you yell at her like that if you didn't mean it?"

Minato couldn't look up at the female junior. "That's complicated…"

"More complicated than that weird club you guys belong to?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "We're not allowed to discuss the activities of SEES to those not living in the dorm."

"But what you guys do had to do with Aragaki-senpai's death," Natsuki frowned at him. "He was a part of your dorm, too, right? I heard you say you two saw him die in front of you…"

Minato clenched his fists. "That's not any of your concern," he sternly said.

"It is since you hurt Fuuka," Natsuki challenged him. "Fuuka is my best friend and you told her it was her fault. Complicated or not, I want an explanation."

"You're not getting one from me," Minato defensively stated. "I know what I did was wrong but… it's for her own good…" His fingernails dug into his own skin as his fist tightened. "It's best if she stopped relying on me anyways… There's still everyone else at the dorm. And outside of SEES, she has you."

"I wouldn't even be speaking to you right now if that was going to be true in the future," Natsuki said with a frown.

Minato looked up at her in confusion. "What?"

"I'm transferring after tomorrow," Natsuki sadly told him. "And when I do, Fuuka will be alone in Ekoda's class. She doesn't really fit into the classroom well and Ekoda's always picking on her with the other students. We spend a lot of time together, but when I see her with you guys, she's acts differently. She's a lot more confident, especially when you're standing right beside her…"

The blue-haired boy shook his head. "You're just imagining things…"

"You know I'm not," the brunette frowned at him.

The Hellhound faltered a bit and sighed. "If you're so concerned about her, tell my sister… Fuuka probably hates me anyways…"

"That's not true," Natsuki shook her head. She smiled as she tried to recall something she felt the boy told her a long time ago. "I still don't remember the reason why we were hospitalized, but I do remember Fuuka saving me from something. She was so brave back then…" She was beginning to get a headache so rested a hand on her head. "She collapsed, didn't she? You were there to catch her and I wanted to apologize to her for what had happened. I think it was my fault we were in that situation but…" Natsuki gave Minato a determined look. "You told me that Fuuka would forgive me…"

Minato vaguely recalled his words. "That's right… She's just too kind sometimes…"

"I don't know why you want her to hate you, but Fuuka's not the kind of person to hold grudges. She cares about you a lot…" Natsuki studied the boy's pained expression. "And from talking to you right now, I can tell you care about her too…"

"Then we're in the same boat," Minato shook his head. "Hamuko and I don't stay in a place for more than a year. If Fuuka relies on me, I'm just going to leave her once the school year ends."

"You can't be sure of that," Natsuki frowned. "You're here on a scholarship, right? Can't that be renewed?"

The Hellhound remained silent as she had a point. "There's no guarantee I'll be able to stay," he weakly argued.

"But that should be long enough for her," the brunette said before smiling. "Besides… it's not like you can't keep in touch with her after you move. You both have phones… and I've heard you're both really good with computers. There are tons of ways to stay connected to each other."

"If you know that, you could do that yourself. Why come to me?" Minato stared at her.

"Because I'm her friend and you are too." Natsuki stood up as the warning bell rang. "I came to you because out of everyone in the dorm, Fuuka trusts you the most. Even if you both aren't talking to each other, it's not like you can pretend the other never existed. If you really wanted to avoid her, you wouldn't have spoken with me."

"That's also true, isn't it?" Minato sighed. He turned to face the city and took a deep breath. "I'll think about it, alright? I can't really promise anything right now."

"That's fine, but since tomorrow is my last day, I'll have to tell her goodbye. When I do, can I at least talk to you again after I see her?"

The blue-haired boy nodded. "Alright." Minato looked up towards the sky as he heard the door close behind the girl. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as a breeze swept over him. He paused as something flew into his face. He reached up and stared at the small flower petals in his hand before letting them drift in the wind. Minato smirked to himself and shook his head. "What a cowardly pup you are, 'harbor of courage'…" He clenched his fists. "It's not like I can help it though… But still… I'm the bravest person she knows?" He sighed to himself as he thought of how his quiet friend's brown eyes shone whenever they were together. "Fuuka…"

* * *

~20 OCTOBER 2009~

Fuuka glanced up towards Ekoda as he cleared his throat to start homeroom. "Uhhh, okay, class… I know you've been busy lately, but you all remembered to do your homework, right? Just because you're not taking a literature class next year doesn't mean you can blow off Classic Lit. Hey, are you listening to me?" he snapped at a student dozing off in the front row.

Beside the teal-haired girl, Natsuki frowned at her. "What's wrong, Fuuka? You look kinda down."

"Huh…?" Fuuka turned to her in surprise.

"Talk to me," her friend told her in worry. "Tell me what's bothering you."

Fuuka lowered her gaze towards her desk as she didn't really know where to begin. _Ever since the last operation, everyone has been so down. Minato-kun and I haven't spoken at all… Everyone's scores suffered during Midterms… Shinjiro-san is gone… That's right… It's because Shinjiro-san is no longer with us. Without him, everything seems so different…_ She frowned as she finally came up with something to say. "It's about Aragaki-senpai…"

"Oh…" Natsuki frowned as she was hoping her friend would have wanted to talk to her about Minato. "Pretty shocking, huh…? I've never seen him at school, but I've seen him around town…" She thought back to the tall brunet who often hung out behind Port Island Station. "I wonder if he really did get caught up in some kind of crime…"

Fuuka continued to sadly stare at her desk. "Some things you can never get back…" she softly muttered. "I know that, from all the things that have happened with my parents. I've sort of been avoiding the question… but is it okay for me to go on like this?" She clenched her fists as she remembered the look of disappointment on her father's face the last time she had seen him during summer vacation. Her thoughts then wandered to the cold gaze Minato had given her when he told her that he no longer needed her to watch over him. _Lately, all I've been doing is letting everyone down..._

"Parents, huh…" Natsuki sympathized with her friend. "I can relate to that. But, you'll be okay, right?"

"Natsuki," Ekoda turned towards the brunette sitting near the back. "What are you waiting for? Come on up."

"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes as she stood from her seat.

The crabby teacher sighed. "Don't you want to give your classmates a proper goodbye?" he asked as Natsuki approached the front of the room.

Fuuka looked at her in confusion. "Huh? What's going on?"

Natsuki wore an uncomfortable frown as she bowed to the class. "Uhhh, hello, everyone. I know it hasn't been that long, but I feel like I've made some good friends," she said as she looked over towards Fuuka. "I'll remember each and every one of you, even after I transfer. Thank you." She glared at Ekoda. "How's that?"

Fuuka looked at her friend in disbelief. "Transfer…? WHAT!?"

* * *

Natsuki wryly laughed. "You're a weird one, y'know?" the brunette told her friend as they sat together on the roof. "The biggest bitch in the school is leaving, and you feel sorry for her."

"You're transferring…" Fuuka frowned, "and you didn't say anything…?"

Natsuki shrugged. "It's not like telling you would've changed anything. Why make us both depressed?" she rhetorically asked. "Anyway, my dad's pretty sick… And they say it'll take some time for him to recover… We don't really have that much money, so we can't afford to stay here. Y'know, I still think you're crazy for being friends with someone like me… But, like I said before… we're both in the same boat." Natsuki frowned. "My parents act like I don't exist. I hate living at home. That's why I was so jealous when you moved into the dorm."

Fuuka looked at her friend with concern. "Natsuki-chan…"

"But, Fuuka…" Natsuki sternly spoke to her. "Your house is nearby and your parents are pretty normal. So, why'd you move?"

Fuuka was a bit surprised by the question. "Huh…?" she frowned to herself. "Well… um…"

"If you don't want to tell me, that's okay," Natsuki smiled at her. "But if it's something that you and your folks can work out, then do it while you have a chance. It'll be a while before my dad's in any condition for us to have a heart to heart." Fuuka nodded in understanding as she remained silent. Natsuki noticed how down the teal-haired girl was so lightly laughed. "What am I doing? This isn't what I wanted to talk about," she said, turning her head away. "Y'know, Fuuka… I used to think that every day was just the same. And I'm only saying this because it's you… But, you don't get any second chances in life. If you accept the way things are, then they'll never change…" Natsuki frowned at the cityscape. "This is the last time I'll see this view, huh… I won't be in school next week 'cause I'll be packing, so… I guess this is goodbye…"

"No!" Fuuka shook her head in protest.

Natsuki chuckled. "It's okay. Everything will be alright," she reassured her friend. "C'mon, don't gimme that look."

"But…"

"Hey, I'm not helpless, y'know," Natsuki nodded to her. "I've changed a lot since I met you. I'm gonna try and figure out what I really want now. So, I hope you do the same."

"What I really want…?" Fuuka frowned to herself. "I used to try and please everyone… I was afraid of not being liked, so I did my best to fit in. But, I never thought about what I wanted." She blinked at that. _No… That's not completely true… I wasn't like that whenever I was with Minato-kun… Minato-kun always let me be myself around him…_

Natsuki noticed Fuuka's cheeks were going red. She lightly laughed at the teal-haired girl and hugged her. "That is so like you, Fuuka. Well I say, if they don't accept you for who you are, then screw 'em." She smiled at her best friend. "But I like you… even if you don't like yourself." _I'm sure Yuki-san does too…_

"Natsuki-chan…" Fuuka gave her a grateful smile.

"Well…" Natsuki turned towards the door with a smile. "I better get going." She walked away before the teal-haired girl could stop her.

"Natsuki-chan!" Fuuka tried to go after her, but her phone rang. "My cell…?" She quickly checked it and noticed a new text. "Huh!? Natsuki-chan!?" Her eyes widened as she opened it.

 _"Even if we're apart, we'll still be connected. We can always talk, right? Thanks for everything."_

Fuuka smiled as she put her phone away. "Natsuki-chan…" She walked towards the edge of the roof to collect her thoughts. She was alone for quite a while until she heard someone running up the staircase towards the roof.

"Fuuka?" a soft voice called out to her.

The teal-haired girl slowly turned around. "Minato-kun?" She stared at him with wide brown eyes.

The boy seemed slightly out of breath but he didn't seem to care as he walked towards her. His blue eyes shone in concern as he focused only on her. "Fuuka…" Minato carefully studied her expression before softly smiling at her. When he was finally in front of her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Fuuka…" he muttered into her ear. "Are you okay?"

Initially surprised by his actions, Fuuka tensed up but she soon relaxed herself into his warm, familiar presence. Her arms automatically wrapped around his back as she pressed her head against his chest. "I'm fine, Minato-kun," she reassured him. "What are you doing here though?"

"Natsuki-san told me about her transfer." He gently let go of her as he frowned to himself. "I didn't want you to be alone after she left…"

Fuuka stared deeply into his blue eyes and a happy warmth grew inside her as she realized something. "Thank you, Minato-kun," the girl gratefully smiled at him, "but I don't think I can ever be alone."

The boy blinked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Her smile grew brighter as she lightly giggled to herself. "Hmm… 'Even if we're apart, we'll still be connected.' It all makes sense now…" She surprised the boy when she took his hands within hers. "I've always been so worried about how others are feeling… That's why my power allows me to stay connected with them… I guess there is something I want after all…" She squeezed the boy's hand and blushed. "It makes me happy to see everyone else happy too. So, I want us all to remain friends. The power to connect people, even when they're apart… My Persona has given me this amazing gift."

Fuuka flinched as a flash of light appeared before her. Lucia appeared around them before turning into another Persona. _"Thou art I, and I am thou,"_ it said to Fuuka. _"From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Juno, Queen of the Gods."_

"Juno?" Minato began to blush. _Isn't she also goddess of marriage?_

 _"I will connect you to your loved ones forevermore,"_ Juno said as she returned to Fuuka.

"Thank you, Juno," Fuuka blushed at her Persona's words before happily hugging the boy in front of her. "And you too, Minato-kun, for being here for me."

"Huh?" Minato looked to her in confusion but smiled as he hugged her back. "You're not upset at me?" he asked in a soft tone.

She shook her head against his chest. "No… Are you disappointed in me?"

"I could never be disappointed in you," the boy choked out, tightening his embrace. "Don't you dare think that you could ever disappoint me, Fuuka."

"I'm glad," the teal-haired girl muttered as she listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart. "I'm always so happy around you… so I'm glad…" She sniffled a bit as tears began to form.

"Fuuka, don't cry," Minato gently told her as he rubbed her back. "I'm here now…" He frowned to himself. "I'm sorry for causing you this much trouble…"

"But that's a part of who you are," Fuuka shook her head at him as they separated. "Remember what we talked about during the summer festival? Even though you're problematic at times, I like that part of you too. You're not perfect, Minato-kun, but to me, you're—"

"The bravest person you know?" Minato asked. Fuuka nodded in response, resulting in him wryly laughing. "My 'bravery' led to Shinji-nii's death… I thought I could protect everyone, but I'm still just a coward in the end."

"I don't think you're brave because of your abilities, Minato-kun," the girl told him. "I think you're brave because you're always trying your hardest in spite of your fears. I know you blame yourself for not being able to protect Shinjiro-san, but what happened wasn't your fault," she reassured the taller teen.

"Even so," he muttered, "I said all those awful things to you, hoping to drive you away… How are you not angry at me for that?"

Fuuka paused for a moment. After a while, she took in a deep breath. "I became afraid too," she admitted to him. "I didn't think I was capable of keeping my promise of watching over and protecting you. When you were angrily yelling, you wouldn't look at me and it took a while for me to understand you didn't mean any of it, but I still used your words as an excuse to break my promise to you…"

"It wasn't a very good promise to begin with," Minato frowned. "It was an unnecessary burden I gave you… I'm sorry…" his voice lowered to a whisper.

"You don't have to apologize," the girl told him with a soft smile. "I wasn't really helping you back then either. I was only using the promise as a way to pay you back for all the times you helped me. During the past few days though, my old negative thoughts started creeping in again… I thought if I let you see who I really was, then you wouldn't like me…"

"But you know that's not true," Minato told her. "I've always accepted you for who you were… Who you _are_."

The girl wryly smiled at him. "I was thinking badly of myself… But, when I realized what I was doing… I saw myself for who I truly am… And now, I understand what I really want to do. At first I wanted to thank you, but now I realize what I actually want to do is help you… My true feelings really weren't that complicated after all."

The blue-eyed boy stared at her. "Fuuka…?"

"Um…" she blushed as she lowered her gaze. "There's something I have to tell you…"

Minato studied her carefully and patiently nodded. "You know you can tell me anything," he gently stated.

Fuuka felt that it was getting difficult to breathe but she continued. "I want to be by your side, Minato-kun," she told him. "And I want you to be by my side… Even if it can't be forever, I want to be with you for as long as possible…" She looked up at his soft face. "That's what I want most right now…" She nervously watched him and was afraid he was going to leave her again, but was surprised when he hugged her once more. It felt different this time though. It was as though the boy never wanted to let her go.

"Y-yeah…" Minato shakily said. "That's what I want too…"

"R-really…?" Fuuka blushed. "You feel the same…?" She felt him nod and she tightly clung to him. "Minato-kun…"

The blue-haired boy pressed his lips against her head and took a deep breath. _I won't make you promise this time… Now that I know this is what you want, I'll do my best to stay at your side too. After all… I love you, Fuuka…_ He smiled to himself but heard a stampede of footsteps climbing up the stairwell behind him. Slightly upset at the interruption, the boy reluctantly let her go. "Someone's coming," Minato told her with a sigh.

The two juniors turned towards the door as Yukari opened it. "There you are," she said as she smiled towards Fuuka. She blinked as she noticed the frowning blue-haired boy on the roof. "Oh, Minato…" She turned to Junpei, Hamuko, and Aigis behind her. "I found them!"

Fuuka looked at them in confusion. "Why, did something happen?"

"It is surprising to find you on the rooftop," Aigis said.

"Nah," Junpei shrugged. "We were just wondering what you were up to…" He winked at Minato. "So is this where you've been disappearing to during lunch these past few weeks?"

Minato sighed as he knew his friends were bound to interrupt him with their horrible timing. "It's a good place to nap…" he told him before putting on a lazy smile. "It's quiet and breezy up here… Autumn really is the best…"

"Not what I was going for, dude," Junpei shook his head.

Hamuko smiled as she noticed her brother and Fuuka laughing alongside each other. Minato noticed her staring at them. "What?" he asked with a slight frown.

"Fuuka-chan," the red-eyed girl tilted her head to the side. "Is everything alright?"

The teal-haired girl nodded. "Everything's okay now. I've made up my mind. I'll do as much as I can with my power." She smiled up at Minato. "For my sake, as well as the sake of others." The blue-haired leader looked back towards her and gave her nod, a sign that he would be relying on her strength from now on. Fuuka's smile grew as her face warmed up a little.

Yukari frowned. "Okaaay…"

Fuuka giggled. "Sorry. I guess that was sort of random, wasn't it?"

"I don't think so," Minato crossed his arms.

"Uh, are you sure you're alright?" Junpei studied Fuuka's face for a while longer as she continued to giggle.

"We're probably missing something only nii-san knows," Hamuko sighed.

"But I'm the dense one when it comes to what you call 'matters of the heart'…" Minato pointed out.

"I guess we're all doomed then," Hamuko shrugged.

"Whatever," her older brother shook his head as he put his hands in his pockets. He started for the door but paused. "Heh… It's been a while since we've all gone to Tartarus…" He smirked towards the sky. "I suppose we've put this off long enough…" He turned to his team with an apologetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry it took a while for me to recover, but we'll be fine now. We have only one Shadow left. It'll be more difficult than the ones we've previously faced, but I'm sure we can handle it." The leader hesitated as he considered asking them a question. "I can count on you all to back me up, right?"

"You really have to ask?" Yukari raised an eyebrow at him.

"I guess not…" Minato wryly chuckled. "Then it's decided," he let out a deep breath. "I won't look back in fear anymore. We'll keep moving forward. Not just for Shinji-nii, but for our sake as well."

"Dude, did your brother get a new Persona too?" Junpei asked Hamuko.

"No," Fuuka shook her head as she smiled at her inspiring hero. "I did, but… Minato-kun also became stronger."

"Maybe a new girlfriend then?" the red-eyed girl joked.

"W-what?" Minato's face grew red. "H-hey…"

Aigis tilted her head to the side. "Minato-san's and Fuuka-san's body temperatures are rising. Perhaps they are coming down with a fever."

Yukari smirked at the two juniors. "Oh… I get it. If you both wanted some time alone on the roof, you could have just said so." She laughed a bit. "We didn't mean to interrupt."

"N-no," Fuuka stammered. "Th-that's not it at all!"

"Nii-san, can I be your maid of honor?" Hamuko laughed.

"Sh-shut up!" Minato tried to snap, but his burning cheeks only made his friends laugh at him. He glanced towards Fuuka and saw she was also blushing as madly as he was. The two looked to each other before joining the rest of the team in their laughter. _Everything will be fine now,_ Minato thought as he slipped his hand into Fuuka's. _I won't lose myself again… The Hanged Man, Ikutsuki, and Death are all that's left. I won't run away. I have everyone with me and I don't want to be alone anymore. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, everyone… for being my family…_

* * *

After school, Hamuko was surprised to see Ken waiting at the school gate. The young boy brightened as he saw her. "Hello, Hamuko-san."

"Hey, Ken-kun," the older girl smiled at him. "Were you waiting for someone?"

He lowered his gaze and nodded. "Can you come with me somewhere?"

The red-eyed junior noticed the sad glow in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sure," she replied as they walked to the station together.

Ken took her to the back alley of Port Island Station and frowned. "I'm sorry," he apologized to her again for the hundredth time that month. "I was too scared to come here by myself…" He became silent as he stared at the place Shinjiro had shielded him from Takaya.

"I'm with you," Hamuko reassured him. She shifted her left wrist a bit and smiled at her watch. "And Shinji-kun is too…"

"Yes…" Ken sadly smiled to himself. "Thank you very much." His tiny body began shaking. "It's… hard to live, isn't it?" he asked. "Living… is painful…" He looked up at the girl behind him. "Hamuko-san…"

The older girl hugged him as he began to sob, but no tears fell from his eyes. "It does hurt," she said, wiping up her own tears, "but it's also wonderful at the same time… That's why we have to keep living, in spite of the pain. It's okay to move on," she smiled to herself. "Your mom and Shinji-kun would want you to find your future, Ken-kun…"

Ken nodded and the two remained silent until the young boy calmed down. When he finally pulled himself together, he frowned up at the older girl. "Hamuko-san?"

"Yes?" the girl patiently waited for the brunet.

"I…" he faltered a bit, but shook his head and locked his eyes with hers. "I really am sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you too," he said. He sighed to himself. "Yuki-san told me that as long as I can live with my choices I should be fine… but I don't know if I can with this one… It was a mistake after all."

Hamuko giggled a bit. "Ken-kun, mistakes are okay so long as you learn from them. Shinji-kun made his choice to face you too… It's not your fault. You don't have to keep apologizing to me."

"So you'll be alright?" Ken asked her in concern.

"I loved Shinji-kun," Hamuko nodded. "Nothing will change that. He might be gone now, but I'll always cherish the time we did have together."

"I see," the young brunet smiled. "I think I understand now. Thank you, Hamuko-san." His eyes shone in determination. "Even if it hurts to live, I want Mom and Shinjiro-san to be proud of me…" He blushed a bit and nervously chuckled. "If it's not too much to ask, please take care of me from now on…"

Hamuko let out a light laugh as she ruffled the boy's hair. "Of course, Ken-kun. You're like my little brother, after all."

* * *

Minato took his usual seat across the table. "Yes, please," he smiled to the fortune teller.

Den Mother smiled back as her crystal ball glowed in a blue light. "A strong wind blows across the world, sending a blue flower's petals into the air…" Minato tilted his head to the side as he watched the speckles of light dance in the breeze. "The flower discovered the world, made friends to protect, and has become another light…" Juno's form took shape in the ball. "The lights are gathering around you…" Minato saw himself surrounded by his friends, casting a light over him to illuminate his large shadow until nothing was left. "Be prepared…" the fortune teller warned him.

"I'll be careful," Minato nodded.

"You've reached a point where you're ready to join the light," Den Mother told him. "Even so, you still carry shadows within you."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," the boy shrugged.

"That's right," the woman nodded at him with a smile. "The lights and shadows will become your strength. Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato stood up and politely bowed before leaving. He stared at his Velvet Key with a smile as he returned to the dorm. _Everybody's strength is my strength. I forgot that last time. I won't make the same mistake twice. I'll protect my family for sure this time. Just watch me, Shinji-nii._

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

 _"Um…"_ Fuuka frowned as she tried to understand the new ability she received. _"I'm not quite sure what it does, Minato-kun…"_

"But it's your power," Minato frowned as he dodged a Hell Knight coming for him.

 _"I'm sorry, but it looks like Oracle can have multiple effects,"_ she told him. _"Juno can only cast Oracle once a day though so I don't know if it'll be useful."_

"Should you really be having this conversation right now?" Hamuko sighed as the entire team was surrounded by purple mist. She held her breath and waited for the air to clear before charging forward.

 _"Oh, right! Sorry, Hamuko-chan!"_

"Ah, to hell with it," Minato shrugged. "Cast Oracle, Fuuka. I want to see what it does."

 _"Okay then! It'll take a while for the effects to begin, so watch out for the Shadows' attacks!"_

"Understood!" the leader called back. "I'm counting on you, Fuuka!"

Akihiko slammed his fist against the Hell Knight closest to him but frowned. "Tch, tough bastard…"

 _"Senpai, it's beginning to cast Maziodyne!"_ Fuuka warned them.

Junpei braced himself as a bolt of lightning struck him. "Dude, this isn't looking good!"

Minato shrugged off the shocks and summoned Melchizedek. "Careful, everyone!" he called out to them as he cast Mediarahan.

Hamuko cast Akasha Arts and sighed when two Shadows turned towards her next. "So… when's that Oracle thing coming into play?"

 _"Not much longer!"_ Fuuka reassured her. _"Be careful of the Mudo spells, Minato-kun! You're vulnerable to Darkness!"_

Koromaru growled and intercepted the spells for their leader. He barked before leaping onto a Shadow. Aigis went to assist the albino dog. "He says, 'You need to pay attention to the battle'."

"Yeah, but this might help us in the long run," Minato frowned as he used Gigantic Fist to damage another Hell Knight.

 _"Minato-kun! Oracle is in place! I don't know exactly what it did, but good luck!"_

"Well, here's hoping it worked!" Minato tightened his grip around his sword as one Hell Knight cast Heat Wave. The boy flinched but paused when the Shadow was pelted multiple times by its own attack, killing it. "Um… Fuuka, I think Oracle saved us…"

 _"That's a relief…"_ the girl sighed.

Minato blinked as another Hell Knight tried to cast Marziodyne only to have that bounce back at it too. "Yeah… We've got it, Fuuka." He jammed his sword into the last Shadow and smirked at the critical blow he delivered. "Everyone with me!?" he called out to his team to confirm their positions. Once everyone was ready, he signaled their charge. "Get ready for some Mass Destruction!" he smirked as they finished the battle.

 _"Enemy defeated! Good job, everyone,"_ Fuuka said.

"Thanks for your hard work, Fuuka," Minato said as he caught his breath. "Oracle saved us back there. I'll be relying on your power from now on."

A few nights later, the team was held up by another powerful Shadow. Thinking Oracle would change the situation, Minato once against asked Fuuka to cast the ability on the team. _"Oracle, standing by!"_

"Hang in there, everyone!" Minato called out to his team.

Hamuko frowned as she temporarily raised everyone's evasion. "Nii-san! You can't really expect Oracle to do the same thing as before, right? Fuuka-chan said it has multiple effects."

"Yeah, but we kinda need the help right now," her brother argued back as the Mythical Gigas cast Maragidyne, downing Mitsuru. "Yukari! Ken! Help her!" he called out.

 _"Minato-kun, I'm invoking Oracle!"_ Fuuka notified him.

"Okay—" Minato let out a sharp cry as an explosion erupted from the team. Everyone was down and the Shadow loomed over him. The boy's blue eyes widened as he rolled out of the way before it could stomp on him. "Melchizedek! Mediarahan!"

Hamuko rolled her eyes as she and Mitsuru cast two Mind Charged Bufudynes on the Shadow, defeating it. "I told you," the red-eyed junior scolded her brother.

"Fuuka?" Minato nervously spoke into his headset. "What was that?"

 _"Um… Sorry, Minato-kun. It looks like Oracle isn't very reliable…"_

"Well, at least I know it has its limits," the leader sighed. "Well, that's fine. You do more than enough watching the battles anyways, Fuuka. We'll just have Oracle be a last resort."

 _"Understood,"_ Fuuka replied. _"You should all return to the lobby now,"_ she suggested to him. _"I don't sense any more powerful Shadows above you, but it looks like you're all tired. We can finish the next few floors another time."_

"Got it," the blue-haired boy nodded. He looked over to his team and took an unsteady step forward before falling to the ground. "Nope, never mind." He watched as Mitsuru, Hamuko, Ken, and Yukari collapsed to the ground too. "Um… Fuuka? Send Akihiko, Junpei, and Aigis up to get us… I don't think I can feel my legs…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So... I honestly don't understand Fuuka's friendship with Natsuki. Especially in the movie. It's kinda toxic... But then again, it's like all the Priestesses in the series have toxic friendships. Maki had her best friend that was super jealous of her... Fuuka is best friends with a person who used to bully her... And Yukiko and Chie have problems of their own... I guess those relationships improve towards the end, but really... Here's hoping Makoto Niijima in Persona 5 breaks this trend... Oh, and about Oracle... Usually, I keep forgetting it exists because at this point, Fuuka and Minato are like ten levels above everyone else so once I get Juno, Fuuka already has Oracle and Escape Route but she doesn't explain its effects to me like her previous skills... Apparently it's useful when everything is hopeless because at that point the team has nothing to lose... They improved its usefulness in Portable, I think, but still... I'm never in a situation dire enough to rely on it. Plus, I hoard Somas and that's much more reliable...


	37. Preparations for the End

**Author's Notes:** So we're a week into October... I'm not a big fan of Halloween. I mean, it's fun to celebrate and all, but this also marks the season of crazy weirdos... and idiots... What kind of person do you have to be to think it's a a great idea to dress up like clowns and threaten high schools? But anyways, filler chapter this week. Next week will be the final Operation.

* * *

~24 OCTOBER 2009~

With Minato feeling better, the twins were able to finish another Social Link they shared. Maiko, the little girl from the shrine, happily spent a complete afternoon with the twins for the last time. Although she enjoyed the games, the time came for her to say goodbye to the older teens.

"We played enough for you to remember me, right? Don't forget," she looked up at them both. "I'm leaving today… an' Dad said, I'll always be his daughter… Even though we're far away, we're still family… So, I don't have to be sad." Her smile slightly faltered. "We're gonna be far apart too… But you and me are family. I mean, not really, but you're my onee-chan and onii-chan, okay? Forever and ever." She held up her pinky finger.

Hamuko linked her pinky to the girl's and nodded. "We won't forget."

"No matter what," Minato added. He knelt down and hugged the elementary school student.

Maiko did her best to hold back her tears as she pulled out something from her pocket. "Keep this, okay? I… made it just for you." The twins each accepted a bead ring. "It's just like mine," she continued, showing them the ring she was wearing. "Whenever I want to see you, I'll look at this… Please don't throw it away…"

Hamuko slipped hers on. "There's no way we could ever do that, Maiko-chan."

"Even if we're far away, we'll always be with you here," Minato said, placing a hand over his heart. "The rings will be proof of that, okay?"

Maiko nodded as she hugged the twins at once. "When I get big, I'll come see you… I'll save my money and buy an airplane ticket… Until then…" She reluctantly let go of them and turned towards the shrine entrance. "Bye-bye!" The young girl ran very quickly to hide her sad tears.

The twins lowered their gaze to do the same but Minato put on a small smile. "Goodbyes hurt, don't they, Hamuko?"

The brunette nodded her head as they felt Attis emerge within their souls. "But for every goodbye, there's another meeting to look forward to."

For Hamuko, Maiko wasn't the only friend she had to say goodbye to. Saori from the Library Committee was to transfer away too, much to Hamuko's dismay, but the red-eyed junior put on a brave front as she walked her friend to the school gate for the last time. Saori only smiled at the younger girl though.

"I'm going to be sad," she told Hamuko, but her smile never wavered, "but I think this is a turning point for me. I'm going to try to start over and try to stand up on my own."

"You can do it, Saori," Hamuko nodded in encouragement.

"Thanks," Saori smiled. "I'll never forget about you." She sighed. "I've always been told… to not have any opinions for myself. That is was an easier way to live. I can make anything someone else's fault… Deep down, I always believed that everything that happened to me was the result of somebody else's doing. But this is my life, and what I do happens to me. No one can take my place, and I have no one to blame but myself for what I let happen to me. That's why I need to stand on my own. I need to have my own voice…" Saori cheerfully laughed. "I knew that I'd never get anywhere if I let other people tell me what to do. I've known it for a long time. But, I had no one to give me the final push that I needed." She hesitated a bit and lowered her gaze as Hamuko continued to stare at her. "And I was too scared to accept it, even if I did have someone to help me. But you pushed me forward, along with all the fears I had. That's why…" she looked up towards the red-eyed girl. "I was able to do this." She took out her cell phone and played a recording.

Hamuko's eyes widened as she recognized what it was. "Saori, you…?"

The older girl nodded. "I made a recording of the announcement as I was making it." She smiled as she recalled their hijacking of the school's broadcast room. "Whenever I feel scared or discouraged, I'm going to listen to it. I was brave and spoke my own mind, and you helped me find that courage… I'm sure that this will give me strength if I ever need it. I want you to remember this, too." Saori fiddled with her phone and Hamuko checked her cell and noticed the attached file in the text. "Please remember that it's because of you that I was able to do my best. You saved me."

"Saori…" Hamuko wiped up the tears in her eyes. "I didn't do much…"

"You were my friend and that's more than enough," Saori told her. She held out her hand. "Lastly… before I go… Let's shake hands."

Hamuko nodded and tightly clasped the older girl's trembling hand. The brunette was surprised by how warm it was. The heat reached her heart and Hamuko smiled as she sensed Arahabaki emerge from her soul, complementing Minato's already complete Hermit Link. "Take care of yourself, Saori," Hamuko told her friend as she watched Saori get picked up from school for the last time.

Without Saori, the Library Committee wasn't quite the same, but Hamuko attended every once in a while to help out whenever things got busy. Otherwise, it was off to Volleyball practice to tease Rio about her crush on Kenji. The team managed to come together again and Rio eased up on the team whenever they would ramble on about group dates. When the team was called to the school after practice, Rio and Hamuko volunteered to stay behind in the gym to clean up. It wasn't as if the two were left behind, but Rio laughed as it reminded her of how she used to be before she realized she liked Kenji.

"I thought it was right to sacrifice everything and devote myself to the club…" she frowned at herself. "No matter how tough things got, knowing I was getting better and showing results would relieve my suffering… But I had forgotten something very important. To have fun. I forgot the joy of volleyball…" When they were finished cleaning, she walked over to her sports duffel and took out a worn book. "Take a look at this." She handed it to Hamuko with a wistful smile on her face. "It's a beginner's guide. When I first started playing volleyball, I was so excited that I couldn't even sleep. I'd read this in bed, while I ate, even during class. I want to give this to you. I want you to have the thing that gave me so much inspiration back then… I think… It'll help me remember that I'm not alone. So… please."

"I'll cherish this," Hamuko nodded.

"Yeah… I'm glad to hear that," Rio smiled. "It's all because of you that I came to realize all these things. You've been with me every step of the way, giving me the extra push that I needed. You always kept an eye out for those around you…" Rio bowed to her in a slightly embarrassed manner. "Thank you."

"Rio, you don't have to be so formal with me," Hamuko frowned. "We're teammates, right?"

"That's right," Rio blinked. "Volleyball's a team sport," she wryly smiled at herself, "but I was trying to play it by myself. As long as I kept thinking that way, things would never turn out right. Maybe… the same thing can be said about life, too." She laughed at that thought. "I'm only 17, anyway!"

"Yup, we still have a long life ahead of us," Hamuko laughed. "It wouldn't be fun to go at it alone."

That night in Tartarus, Minato was surprised when Hamuko was able to use Thor in Tartarus. He crossed his arms and frowned to himself. "It looks like you're catching up to me," he sighed. After a while though, he only laughed. "Well, it's just proof we're getting stronger. After all, we're not alone anymore."

Hamuko was glad to see her brother acting like himself again, but there were a few noticeable differences to him she found. For one thing he was much more laidback in his interference with her life. Minato was still his overprotective self, but he was much more considerate of her feelings and thoughts.

The brunette was a bit curious as to what brought about this change in her older twin's attitude so as they walked to school together she worked up the nerve to ask him. "Nii-san? You're not as high-strung lately. Is everything alright?"

"Huh? I'm fine." Minato looked at her in mild surprise. "Why? Am I acting strange again?"

"No," Hamuko shook her head. "It's just that you seem different ever since you and Fuuka-chan made up." She smiled at her older brother. "You seem more at peace."

The blue-haired boy wore a small smile as he let out a wistful sigh. "Do I?" he asked with a light chuckle. "That doesn't quite match how I feel…" He straightened up and expectantly stared at Hamuko. "Hey, I need your opinion on something. Um…" He turned his head away from the brunette and nervously coughed into his hand. "How would you feel if I told Fuuka about the past ten years?"

The brunette blinked at him. "But you hate bringing that up with anyone… including me."

"Well…" Minato focused his sight on anything but his sister. "It's just that I want her to know everything about me." He smiled to himself. "Fuuka is really important to me and she's the first person I've come to trust as much as you."

Hamuko noticed the seriousness on her brother's face. "You really do love Fuuka-chan," she giggled. "I have yet to hear you say it aloud though."

Minato rolled his eyes as she was trying to tease him again. He wouldn't let it faze him though as he accepted her challenge. "I love Fuuka," he stated with a nod. Hamuko blinked at him when she realized he wasn't evenly remotely embarrassed in saying that. The blue-haired boy frowned as she remained silent. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong? Am I not being earnest enough?" He crossed his arms and sighed. "Then again… it's not like me to make a declaration like that without proof to back it up…"

"Proof?" the brunette asked. "What do you mean by that?"

Minato stared off into the distance. "You still have the locket Mom and Dad gave me, right? I want that to be my proof…"

"Really?" The girl's red eyes widened in surprise. "You haven't worn it since the accident. And you never put in another picture… You want to give that to Fuuka?"

"Hm…" The blue-haired boy absently played with his headphones as he reconsidered his plans. "Would it not suit her?" he asked in worry.

"I'm not trying to talk you out of it," Hamuko told him. "I'm just surprised you came up with the idea yourself." She smiled at her brother. "I'm happy for you, nii-san."

"Well, I love her so I want to give her something meaningful. It's the same as the watch Shinji-nii gave you," Minato looked at the pink wrist watch Hamuko adamantly wore.

"You two really are alike," Hamuko laughed. "The two of you are way too sentimental sometimes… It's sweet."

Minato's face slightly went red. "Just don't ruin my surprise, okay? I don't know when I plan to tell Fuuka I love her, but know that I definitely will!" he cried.

The brunette laughed as they neared the school gate. "Shout any louder and Fuuka-chan will hear you," she said, pointing at the teal-haired waving at them.

"Oh, shit!" her brother nervously tensed up. "She didn't catch that, did she?"

"Fuuka-chan! Good morning!" Hamuko covered his blunder with a cheerful laugh.

Fuuka smiled brightly at them as she greeted the twins. "Good morning!"

When he finally recovered from his shock, Minato quickly cleared his throat. "Morning, Fuuka."

"Minato-kun, is something wrong? You look a bit nervous," Fuuka glanced at him in concern.

"No, I'm fine," Minato looked away from her.

"Nii-san's just being his usual awkward self," Hamuko laughed. "You don't have to worry about it. Is something up?"

"Well, we're almost done," the teal-haired girl said, looking up at the sky. "It feels like it went so fast."

"It sure did," Hamuko smiled. "It's been so long since nii-san and I first encountered the Dark Hour… I can't believe we're nearing the end."

The older twin shrugged. "Don't let your guard down just yet," he sternly told the girls. He frowned to himself and lowered his gaze. "It's no good to get complacent just because we're almost at our goal. Besides, the end isn't really the end but a new beginning."

Fuuka nodded in agreement. "So many things happened, but…" she smiled at the twins. "I'm glad I was able to become friends with everyone. What about you?"

"Same here," Hamuko nodded with a bright smile. "Everyone is important to me so we have to try our hardest. Right, nii-san?" Her brother responded with a curt nod.

"I'm glad to hear that," Fuuka said in relief. "I will do my best until the very end."

Minato turned his head towards the brown-eyed junior. "I'm glad I met you, Fuuka," he stated with a serious expression on his face.

"Huh?" Fuuka blushed. "Oh, um, thank you very much…" She lowered her gaze but she smiled. "I didn't mean it like that, but… Thank you."

The boy chuckled as he shook his head. Hamuko rolled her eyes at him. "Nii-san, you shouldn't be flirting at school," she jokingly scolded him. "I thought you don't like people teasing Fuuka-chan."

"He's not teasing me," Fuuka defended him with a smile.

"Fuuka-chan," Hamuko pouted, "you shouldn't spoil him like that."

"How am I being spoiled?" the blue-haired boy asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Never mind," the red-eyed girl sighed before laughing to herself.

Fuuka turned towards Minato curiously. "Oh, Minato-kun, do you have time after school today?"

"Sorry, Fuuka," the SEES leader sighed. "I have a few things to look into with Mitsuru-senpai."

"That's fine," Fuuka shook her head. She looked over towards Hamuko. "How about you, Hamuko-chan? Are you free today?"

Hamuko thought about her day. "Yeah, I'm free. Do you need help with something?"

"Not really. I just wanted to talk," Fuuka said as her cheeks slightly turned pink. Her voice became quiet as she spoke to the co-leader. "It's not very important but it's something I want to say to you personally, Hamuko-chan."

"Huh?" The red-eyed girl tilted her head to the side as Fuuka was acting a bit strange. "Fuuka-chan?"

Minato didn't seem to hear though as he changed his shoes. "Well, if I'm not needed, I'll leave it to Hamuko then," he shrugged.

Fuuka nodded to him. "By the way, Minato-kun, what are you investigating for Mitsuru-senpai?"

The blue-haired boy lifted up his head and paused. "I've actually been asked to look further into the Kirijo Group. I found a few encrypted files on Kouetsu Kirijo's original experiments. I managed to dig up a lot of stuff so I thought now was a good time to report my findings." He crossed his arms as he wore a serious expression. "After ten years, our parents' final case is finally coming to a close." He smiled at his sister. "Perhaps I'll unlock those memories we've lost too."

"The truth is right in front of you," Hamuko smirked.

"The only challenge is to not turn away from it," her brother finished with a nod.

Fuuka smiled as his blue eyes shone in determination. "I'm sure you'll succeed, Minato-kun."

"Just don't go too far ahead again, nii-san," Hamuko warned him.

"Don't worry," Minato reassured them. "I won't lose myself again. I don't want to lose everyone again. Especially you two." He put his shoes into his locker and smirked. "You both are extremely important to me after all."

* * *

"Thank you for everything, Senpai," Minato bowed his head in gratitude as he walked down the hall. "I know it must be difficult for you, but with this, the case on your grandfather should finally be resolved. The details of the Shadow experiments are all here," he said, handing the senior a file. "It seems your grandfather had been obsessed with bringing about the end of the world, but the plan never came into fruition. The 'catalyst' Shadow necessary for his experiment was destroyed ten years ago and with the final battle coming up, things should finally settle itself."

"I should be the one thanking you, Yuki," Mitsuru sternly said with a frown. "I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this mess because of that man… Aren't you a bit resentful towards me that you've lost your parents because of my family?"

Minato paused as he honestly considered his feelings. "I do miss them sometimes, but it's not something I can take out on you, Senpai. You shouldn't take the blame for something your grandfather was responsible for. To be honest, Hamuko and I still lack memories of the incident. Lately, I've been remembering more, but even so… what's done is done. I can only look ahead towards the end."

The red-haired senior smiled at her adjutant. "You really have changed from how you were in the beginning of the year. I'm glad I made you field leader."

"Senpai…" Minato looked away as he blushed in embarrassment. "I'm just doing what I can…"

"Of course." Mitsuru lightly chuckled to herself as she stared at the thick folder she had been given. "Well, if there is nothing else, you're free to go." The pair stopped outside the Student Council Room. "Good work as usual, Yuki. I'll get these to my father as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Senpai," Minato bowed before continuing down the hall.

Mitsuru nodded as she entered the supposedly empty meeting room. She was surprised to see Yukari sitting at the table working on a report. "Takeba?"

The brunette looked up in surprise. "Oh, sorry. No one was here, so I figured it'd be okay."

"It's rare for you to be here," Mitsuru noted as she closed the door behind her. "Is it for Archery Club?"

"Yes," the junior nodded. "The teacher asked for a report…"

"I see…" Mitsuru frowned. "Then, you must be busy."

"Um, not really," Yukari shook her head. "At least not compared to you…" She looked down at the table as she nervously tapped her pencil. "Um… I wanted to ask you something," she finally said, looking up at the Student Council President.

"Yes…?"

"Senpai…" Yukari chewed on her lower lip before working up the nerve to ask. "Why did you decide to fight?"

"Well, I…" Mitsuru frowned to herself as she stared at the folder in her hands. She thought of her father and tried to come up with something to say. "I guess you could say it's my way of atoning for the past," she partially lied.

"I see," the archer responded. "Well, in my case, I don't really have a reason anymore, if I'm being honest. I know the whole story about my father now. But, I was thinking maybe I could erase the mistakes he left behind…" Mitsuru remained silent at that so Yukari wryly laughed at herself. "I guess I should have thought about this earlier, huh… Why didn't I question myself sooner?"

Mitsuru recalled the words Minato had used before. "What's done is done," she merely said.

"But," Yukari frowned, "it seems like everyone has their own reason for fighting… In the end, defeating the Shadows is all that really matters, isn't it?"

"What are you trying to say?" Mitsuru knit her eyebrows together.

"I'm not exactly sure," the younger girl shook her head. "It'll all be over after the next full moon… but I'll probably still be trying to figure it all out."

"Maybe so," the redhead nodded. "But, at least then we'll be able to return to a normal school life." She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "The Student Council members will be here soon. If you want to talk later, let me know."

"No, that's okay," Yukari smiled as she finished her report. "Thanks for listening." She bowed before walking out.

Mitsuru remained the empty room alone as she stared at the file in her hand. _My reason for fighting… As a team, we made it our goal to end the Dark Hour but when it comes down to each individual member… We each have our own philosophies to follow._ Her grip around the folder tightened. _Isn't that right, Father?_

* * *

Fuuka carefully cut the cake she and Hamuko baked together that day. She happily smiled as she handed her friend a slice of the dessert. "Well then, let's eat." Fuuka took a bite of her own slice and giggled. "This is delicious," she smiled. "I bet it tastes just as good as the ones they sell in stores." The teal-haired girl laughed a bit more as she knew the cake was a little too hard and the whipped cream was a bit watery, but she enjoyed it nevertheless.

Hamuko didn't seem to mind either as she nodded in agreement. "To a successful day in Cooking Club!" She raised her cup of juice. The two made a toast and after taking a sip of her drink, Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "So, wasn't there something personal you wanted to tell me, Fuuka-chan?"

"That's right…" Fuuka's smile slightly fell as she averted her gaze. "Um, there's another reason why I had you come to my room…" She quickly got up and went over to her desk. "I want you to have this." The navigator handed a pair of headphones to Hamuko.

The red-eyed girl blinked at it. "Fuuka-chan?"

"Since you're always listening to music, I thought you might like these," the girl blushed. "Remember how I told you that I was pretty good with mechanical devices?"

"Of course," Hamuko nodded. "You're always helping nii-san adjusting his camera."

Fuuka wore a small smile. "I wanted to thank you with something I'm good at!" She paused a bit before shaking her head. "No, it's not because I want to repay you for your kindness. I just wanted to give that to you. I felt that I just really wanted you to enjoy them. You're a precious friend of mine, after all…"

Hamuko replaced her old headphones and tested the new pair. _"Kikoeru yo Soul phrase~ (I'm walking on my way)~ Now write me an endless song~ (When you let go)~ As I'll feel so alive~ Hashiridasu yami no saki e~"_

Her red eyes went wide at the high sound quality. She paused her music player and brightly smiled at Fuuka. "These are amazing!"

Fuuka seemed happy at that. "I made a pair for Minato-kun too but…" She became quiet as her face burned up.

Hamuko sensed something was up and gently coaxed her friend to explain it to her. "Fuuka-chan, what is it? It's alright to tell me. I told you before that I'm always willing to lend an ear."

"When I give Minato-kun the headphones I made for him… I want to tell him that I love him."

The brunette remained silent at that. _Did I hear her right? Fuuka-chan loves nii-san?_

Fuuka looked up at her in worry. "Um… I'm sorry… Maybe I was being too forward? If you don't want me seeing Minato-kun…"

Hamuko laughed at that. "Fuuka-chan, it's alright… I'm happy for you," she smiled. "You and nii-san… I just didn't expect for you to tell me so openly."

"O-oh…" the brown-eyed girl blushed. "To be honest, I was afraid that you wouldn't approve if Minato-kun and I were going out. I was a bit jealous of you when we first met. I didn't know you two had been twins and the rumors around school didn't really help…"

"That's why you were always so nervous around me," Hamuko realized. "Fuuka-chan… You liked nii-san from the very beginning, didn't you?"

The girl nodded as a small smile grew on her face. "Minato-kun has always been very kind to me and I'm happy whenever I'm around him. I never really understood why until I realized it was because he always let me be myself around him. I could ramble on about random facts with him and he'd happily return the favor, always eager to keep our conversations going for as long as possible." Fuuka looked at her friend in determination. "I don't want to take your spot in Minato-kun's life, but I want to be someone he can also rely on for support whenever he needs it."

Hamuko sternly frowned at her friend. "Fuuka-chan, just because you love my brother doesn't mean you're competing with me for his attention. You're important to him too and I'm glad you love him." The brunette smiled at her. "You don't need to ask for my permission since you've always had it from the very beginning. Ever since you joined, I've always entrusted him to you because you make him happy."

"I do?" Fuuka's eyes grew wide.

The co-leader giggled. "He's my brother, Fuuka-chan. I'll always be at his side, but there are things I can't do for him that only you can. I'll always love him and I know he loves me too." She fondly played with her watch as she tried to remember where her brother's locket was. "Just because he also loves someone else won't change that."

"Hamuko-chan…" Fuuka gratefully smiled. "Thank you…"

The brunette lightly laughed as she hugged her friend. "I'm glad that you want to tell him about your feelings. Nii-san is very kind but hopelessly awkward. He doesn't trust himself with things like this, but if it's you, I know he'll always be happy so please take care of my troublesome brother, Fuuka-chan."

"I'll do my best," the teal-haired girl responded with a blush.

Hamuko couldn't help but squeal. "I can't believe Fuuka-chan will be my sister-in-law!"

Fuuka nervously laughed. "Um… aren't you thinking too far ahead into the future, Hamuko-chan? I haven't even confessed to Minato-kun yet…"

"Nii-san had better accept your feelings," the younger twin sternly crossed her arms. "If he breaks your heart, I'll break his legs."

"W-wait, I don't want that!" the brown-eyed girl exclaimed. Hamuko only laughed at her flustered expression. Fuuka smiled at her friend's infectious energy and giggled. "I guess if I'm going to be a part of your family, your teasing is only going to get worse from now on…" Somehow the thought only made her smile grow as the two girls happily enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together.

* * *

~27 OCOTOBER 2009~

Minato sighed as collapsed onto his bed. His eyes landed on the calendar he hung above the headboard and he stared at the full moon that was coming up. "One more operation…" he noted to himself. "And I still haven't figured out what to do about Ikutsuki…"

Sitting up, he went over his notes again. There was nothing new in them except for some old research papers on Shadows. Minato had discovered something interesting about the 'Fall' being brought about by Shadows eating each other to become Death but that had no bearing on them.

"Maybe he's just an eccentric bastard after all," Minato mused. "But… that doesn't explain Strega or that Reaper…" The blue-haired investigator leaned back and closed his eyes. "He's so goddamn difficult to read... I can't get anything out of that smirk of his." The lights died as the Dark Hour came into effect. He slowly straightened up as he felt a familiar presence sitting beside him.

"Good evening," Pharos smiled as he appeared. "It'll be a full moon again in just another week. At last, the 12th one. Are you ready?"

The older boy solemnly nodded. "I'm ready. I won't let the situation get out of hand like last time," he said with a frown.

Pharos tilted his head to the side. "Regardless of how long it's been, a lot has happened, hasn't it? But," he frowned, "it's a bit soon to be reminiscing. How about I come see you once it's over?" He smiled up at Minato.

The older boy shrugged. "Sure…"

Satisfied by his answer, Pharos nodded. "Be careful now," he warned his friend as he disappeared.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Junpei stared into the fridge and smirked as he took out a cake. "Sweet! Did someone make this?"

Fuuka looked up from her laptop and smiled. "Hamuko-chan and I baked that today! You're welcome to a slice if you want, Junpei-kun."

"Y-you made it, Fuuka?" Junpei nervously asked.

"Yup," the teal-haired girl cheerfully smiled. "It was delicious."

Yukari looked up from her homework at that. "Wait, really?"

"W-well…" Junpei returned the dessert into the fridge. "You made it with Hamuko, right? I shouldn't take a piece without her permission too." He lightly chuckled as he really wanted to avoid food poisoning.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind," Fuuka said with a slight frown.

"What's going on?" Minato asked as he came down the stairs with his laptop. He spotted the cake in the fridge. "Oh, cool… Cake…" He took it out and grabbed a fork. "Anyone want any before I finish it myself?"

"Um… No… it's all yours, dude," Junpei frowned.

"Yukari?" Minato looked over to the archer.

"No, I'm trying to cut back on sweets," the brunette shook her head.

"Fuuka?" The blue-haired boy glanced towards the lounge.

"Hamuko-chan and I had some already," she reassured him with a smile.

"So you don't mind if I take the rest?" he asked.

"No, it's fine," Fuuka smiled at him. "Please help yourself."

"Okay then," Minato shrugged as he took a large bite. He frowned at Yukari and Junpei as his classmates stared at him expectantly. "What?"

"How does it taste?" Yukari quietly asked him.

"It's sweet," the leader bluntly answered.

"You're not feeling sick?" Junpei asked.

"No," Minato eyed them suspiciously as he continued eating the cake. "Why would I?"

The two juniors looked to each other before deciding their leader was okay. "No reason," Junpei sighed in relief.

"Y-yeah," Yukari nodded before lightly laughing. "Nothing to worry about here…"

Minato cleared the entire tray and tossed the fork into the sink. "Of course not," he rolled his eyes. "It's just a cake. Now if you excuse me, I need to check with Fuuka on something." He picked up his laptop and headed over to the lounge.

Junpei slid into a seat next to Yukari. "So it _was_ edible," he muttered.

"I'm surprised too," Yukari nodded in agreement.

"That means I missed out on cake!" the capped boy whined.

"Well, you didn't want to risk it," the brunette sighed.

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka's voice asked in worry. "You seem pale…"

The two juniors at the dining table looked towards their leader and watched as the blue-haired boy started for the bathroom. They heard him retching and sighed to themselves. Maybe they should have done more to warn the poor boy about the cake.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** That's what happens when you clear an entire cake by yourself... Especially one questionably baked... I feel like baking is a lot harder than cooking because the measurements are more stringent. Okay, but more maxed Social Links. I'm neutral towards Maiko, but I feel like Hamuko and Minato have a soft spot for her since they don't get to be with Naoto as much as they like. I don't like Maiko's dad though... What kind of weirdo is he? Like Minato would really marry her... and like Hamuko would marry him! Saori, I really liked. Even if I delayed her Social Link, it's too bad she doesn't attend the Kyoto trip... I liked Rio too. I'm more of a Tennis person myself, but the whole team-theme fits Volleyball more, so I had Hamuko go that route. The only complaint I have about Rio is that she has a crush on Kenji. I really think she deserves a lot better than him... but to each their own. I know this chapter was short, but it'll be made up next week since I'm pretty sure that'll my longest chapter.


	38. Showdown at Moonlight Bridge

**Author's Notes:** Whew... Got through the slog fest that was December in FES. God, I hate that month in the game. As much as I enjoy Persona 3, everyone becomes so whiny and depressed even though I'm all gung-ho about fighting Nyx. That could just be because I put no stock in my own life... but hell, if we die either way, I don't want to forget everyone... The bad ending is a huge slap in the face too... In other news, I was finally desperate enough to use Fuuka's Oracle, but she ended up fully healing my SP when I wanted her to revive my team... Still could have been a whole lot worse, so I'm willing to forgive her. Also, slight revision in Chapter 24 when Minato summons Orpheus against Hypnos. Nothing too major, just changed it from it being a reaction between the two Personas to just Minato losing control over Orpheus. Makes more sense this way.

* * *

~1 NOVEMBER 2009~

By the end of October, Minato and Hamuko completed their Social Link with the stern Hidetoshi. The Disciplinary Committee leader realized that he couldn't just throw his weight around and expect others to respect his position. By spending time with the twins, he learned why the entire student body looked at Minato with both fear and awe as well as how Hamuko could simply smile and get her way. They had a natural aura around them that demanded respect and dispel uneasiness and Hidetoshi decided that was the type of person he wanted to become. It wasn't anything special the twins did to come off that way though and the Emperor smiled when he realized it was because they listened to those around them before acting.

"I may have given people the impression that I'm selfish, but I'll win back their trust," he nodded to them. "Look at this," he said, pulling a lighter from his pocket. "You know that cigarette butt in the bathroom? One of the guys fessed up."

Minato crossed his arms at that. "But I was so close in solving that case…" he frowned.

Hidetoshi shook his head. "Sorry you had to go through all that trouble, Minato-kun, but you know what else? He promised me that he'll never smoke a gain. This lighter is proof of that."

The blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side. "Really?"

Hamuko smiled as she stood by her brother's side. "That's good, Hidetoshi-kun. You managed to reform a student."

"Yeah…" Hidetoshi smiled at her praise. "I earned his trust by showing concern for others, just like you taught me." He handed her the lighter. "Here, I wanted you to have this."

"Thank you," Hamuko said, accepting it.

"No, I should be the one thanking you," Hidetoshi said as he turned towards Minato. "I've been looking down on people. But that caused friction with everyone, and dragged in people dear to me… It really hit me, when I was persuading the lighter's owner, how important it was to make an effort to understand… I learned that technique from you… As you employed it upon me."

"Come on, Hidetoshi," Minato smirked. "It's what we do best… If you learned from us, it wasn't because we were trying to teach you. It's because you actively made an effort to understand us too."

The junior became embarrassed at that. "Do you remember the story I told you? About the TV anchorwoman…?" He frowned at the tragedy of the lady's injury. "The man sent to prison was my father… I see now that sincerity IS important, and I'm proud of myself for learning its true meaning. I also realized what an amazing man my father is… One day…" He glanced at the twins with determination in his eyes. "One day, will I be able to stand by your sides…?"

Hamuko looked to her older brother before giggling at their friend. "Hidetoshi-kun, you're already able to stand beside us."

Minato nodded in agreement. "You're an important friend of ours after all. When you need strength, we'll be there. The same goes for when we need you, right?"

Hidetoshi relaxed at their words. "That's right," he nodded. "Thank you."

The twins smiled at him as they received Odin's blessing. When they called on his power to use Thunder Reign in Tartarus that night, Akihiko smirked as the Norse God commanded respect from the Shadows it defeated. The boxer crossed his arms and nodded his head. "Yeah… You two really are amazing. You might have a powerful Emperor Persona, but Ceasar and I won't fall behind. Right, Shinji?"

Ken nodded in agreement. "We're almost at the end," the young boy said. "We'll finish this for sure."

Minato smiled as the team's morale was climbing again. That was good. The final Shadow would appear in only a few days and even though they lost an important member, Shinjiro was still with them in spirit. The older brunet had entrusted the future to them, and Minato sure as hell wasn't going to waste it. His plan was starting to finally come together again and he made up his mind about the future.

This decisiveness led the blue-haired boy to the very end of the hallway of the dormitory's third floor. He nervously stood in front of the door and looked down at his clothes. He fixed his grey coat to make himself more presentable before raising his hand to knock on the door. The SEES leader only knocked once before the door quickly opened. "F-fuuka!" he jumped in surprise.

Startled by his presence, Fuuka let out a squeak. "Minato-kun!"

"S-sorry…" he said with a nervous smile. "Um… are you busy today?" He noticed she was dressed as though she were ready to go out.

"I was going to visit my parents today," Fuuka replied. "Did you need something?" she curiously asked as she noticed how fidgety the blue-haired boy was acting. "You're not sick, are you, Minato-kun?"

"N-no," the boy shook his head. He calmed his nerves by taking a deep breath. "I just…" He frowned to himself. "Maybe another time then," he told her as he started down the hall. "Sorry for bothering you."

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka quickly pulled on his sleeve to prevent him from leaving. "Actually, I wanted to see you before I go. I have a request…"

The Fool turned his head towards her. "What is it?"

"I want to properly introduce you to them," she quietly said with a blush.

His blue eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

Fuuka nodded. "It won't be long. Afterwards, I can help you with what you wanted to see me for."

Minato lightly chuckled to himself. "Well… it looks like we had similar thoughts today, Fuuka." The girl looked up to him in slight confusion but the boy nodded his head. "Okay… Let's get going."

A smile grew on the girl's face as she took his hand. "Thank you, Minato-kun…"

* * *

 _What exactly did I get myself into?_ Minato asked himself as the man before him was trying to stare him down. The blue-haired boy did his best to keep his face calm, but Fuuka's father narrowed his eyes on the teenager.

"So… Fuuka mentioned you're an orphan," Mr. Yamagishi awkwardly tried to make small talk with the boy.

"Um… Yeah," Minato nodded as his eyes darted towards the kitchen. _Please hurry with the tea, Fuuka…_ he begged as he tried to make conversation with the man. "My sister and I lost our parents when we were seven."

"You have a sister?" the brown-eyed man queried him.

"That's right," the boy cleared his throat as he made himself more comfortable. "Well, technically I have two but one lives with our grandfather. My twin Hamuko transferred with me here though and is also a part of SEES. She operates as my co-leader."

The man recalled seeing the girl's name near the top of the exam results. "I see. She must be a hard worker too. I wish Fuuka could be like that." Mr. Yamagishi paused when he noticed the boy clench his fists. "Did I say something to upset you?"

"Sorry," Minato apologized as he relaxed. "I get very defensive over people I care about and I don't like it when you say things like that about your own daughter." He wryly smiled at the dining table. "You might not think so, but I think Fuuka's changed since the beginning of the school year. She's much stronger now. She's also more courageous than before. You putting her down makes me feel like you're undermining all of the effort she put into improving herself."

"I see," the man sighed. "Well, I'm just doing my best as a concerned father. I want the best for her. I'm only keeping her future in mind."

Minato studied the man's face and nodded in understanding. "I guess a child's future is every parent's worry, but I also think it's a parent's duty to understand their child." He smiled as he remembered his own parents. "My parents always made it a point to have Hamuko and me stand on our own. They were my heroes and I admired their ability so much I was willing to do anything to chase after them. I always got in trouble back then trying to emulate them, but when I told them what I wanted to do, they scolded me for it. They didn't want me living their lives; my life was my own. They said it was admirable for me to try to be like them, but one day, I would have to find my own path in life. If it diverged from theirs, I would have to be able to continue forth on my own strength, not theirs."

"I doubt Fuuka wants to be like me or her mother," Mr. Yamagishi shook his head.

"Why not?" Minato asked in mild surprise.

"We've been too hard on her lately," he explained. "Fuuka was always a quiet child, but she's quick to learn. When she was younger, she would enjoy sharing all sorts of random facts she'd learn at school with me. She stopped in middle school though," he frowned. "I suppose that was when I pushed her to excel in her studies. I turned learning into a chore for her. Now that I think about it, she never showed much interest in becoming a doctor yet in all of the career counseling sessions so far, she's put that as her first occupational choice. To be honest, I don't think she'd be happy as a doctor."

"What would she be more comfortable doing then?"

"Probably a mechanic of some sort," Mr. Yamagishi smirked. "You know, she's actually very capable with machines. I used to tinker myself and she'd spend hours just watching me fix up old stereos." He frowned at a thought. "I don't know if it's a suitable hobby for her though. I don't think anyone would be interested in a quiet girl interested in machines."

"I don't think so," Minato shrugged. "Fuuka's fine as she is. What does it matter what others think?" The man looked at the junior in surprise but the boy didn't notice as his blue eyes glowed in excitement. "It's thanks to her that I finally found a way to feasibly modify my camera. Her abilities are amazing! She shouldn't have to be embarrassed about it!" He paused when he noticed he was raising his voice. "Sorry," he nervously chuckled. "I tend to ramble sometimes."

The dark-haired man smiled at the boy. _Fuuka's made a good friend_ , he thought to himself. "You hold her in such high regard, Yuki-san," he nodded in approval.

"Well," Minato blushed, "there are things only Fuuka can do and she does them earnestly. Besides, even if she has trouble, she knows she can rely on me or the others to help her. That's what it means to be a team."

"You know, I still don't understand her role in SEES," the concerned father frowned. "Why is she so important to the team?"

Minato took a while to come up with an answer but as he spoke, Mr. Yamagishi noticed the boy's smile never wavered. "She connects us together," the blue-haired boy nodded. He didn't notice Fuuka coming from the kitchen carrying a tray of snacks she just made. The girl paused when she noticed the boy talking about her. "Even though she's not a field agent, she's essential to SEES because she's what ties us together. Data-gathering, communications, and support… I might be field leader, but I can't manage everything on the field on my own. That's why she's so important to me—us," he quickly caught himself. He wryly smirked to himself. "No matter how hard I try, I can't ever have her abilities but that's fine. Fuuka's always there to remind me that I'm not working alone. With her support, I know I have my team behind me."

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka smiled at the boy's kind words as she set the tray down on the table.

"Fuuka?" The boy's blue eyes widened. "Um… How much of that did you hear?" he asked, turning his head away from her so she wouldn't see him blush.

The girl giggled as she took a seat beside him. "I didn't know you valued my abilities so much, Minato-kun."

"Of course I do," the boy frowned. "You're SEES' navigator. That's not something I take lightly." He spotted the rice balls on the tray and blinked at them. "Did you make these just now? I thought you were just preparing tea…"

Fuuka nodded and proudly smiled at her father. "Mom and I made lunch," she told them. "That's why we took so long."

"You made these?" Mr. Yamagishi stared at the food before them, a bit surprised by the sight of it.

His wife took a seat beside him and set out the tea cups. "She did. I tried one and they're amazing. She really has improved her skills." She picked a rice ball closest to her and began eating.

Minato eagerly took a rice ball for himself. "Itadakimasu," he stated before taking a bite. "Fuuka makes the best rice balls," he happily chewed. "They're even better than the ones Hamuko and I make."

Fuuka blushed at that. "Hamuko-chan was the one who gave me the recipe. It shouldn't be that different from how you usually make it, Minato-kun." She reached for the heavy teapot but nearly spilled the hot drink.

Carefully watching her, Minato quickly stood up and caught the pot before she could hurt herself. "I've got it, Fuuka. You should enjoy your lunch too," he gently smiled at her as he poured the tea for everyone.

"Thank you, Yuki-san," her mother smiled at him. "You're quite the polite young man." The boy slightly went red at that. The four enjoyed lunch together and spoke about random things before the teal-haired woman turned to her husband curiously. "So besides SEES, what else did you two talk about?"

"Just Fuuka in general," the man said as he stared at his daughter. "She really has changed from how she was in the beginning of the year. It really was a good idea to join SEES," he reluctantly admitted.

Fuuka sheepishly smiled at that. "I'm glad you think so, Father," she said. "I was able to make many important friends there. It also made me put into perspective what I want to do in the future." She nervously looked up to her parents. "I know this might seem sudden, but I don't think I'm going to become a doctor. I want to go into mechanical and computer engineering!"

"Fuuka?" Minato stopped gnawing on his last rice ball and tilted his head to the side.

The girl did her best to face her parents' stares as she continued. "I know you might be disappointed in my decision, but I've already made up my mind. I want to be able to help others, but I want to do that by fully utilizing my strengths. I want to be able to live honestly with myself, but to do that, I can't hide my likes and dislikes anymore. I love tinkering and building things. I love you both, but I also love all of my friends at the dorm." She paused as she glanced at the supportive blue-haired junior beside her. "I want to be able to do the things I love with the people I love…"

Minato gave her an encouraging smile as he nodded to her. Mrs. Yamagishi glanced between her daughter and the junior before smiling. "You've completely thought this through, haven't you?"

"That's right," Fuuka nodded.

Her father took the last rice ball on the tray before looking towards Minato. "Yuki-san, can I ask that you give us a moment?"

Minato nodded in understanding as he quickly gathered the dishes. "Of course. Let me clear the table first…"

Fuuka's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, Minato-kun—"

"It's alright, Fuuka," he reassured her. "You made lunch for us. I'll handle the rest," he told her with a smile. "I want to thank your family for their hospitality somehow." He quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

Nervous that she was now alone, the girl turned to face her parents but noticed her stern father didn't seem angry. "Father?"

He shook his head as he stared at the kitchen entrance. "Fuuka, what was the reason for your visit?"

Fuuka frowned at the table. "I wanted to finally face you both and tell you how I really felt. I spent a long time figuring out how to tell you and I was afraid of how you would react, but I don't want to run from this anymore. I know you both care about me and my future, but I know I won't be happy if I keep trying to be something I'm not."

Her mother frowned at her. "Fuuka, we're sorry for all the pressure we put on you. I guess we weren't really paying enough attention to what you wanted either… I'm glad you finally told us though. You're our precious daughter and we don't just want what's best for you. We want you to be happy too."

"Mom…" The girl managed to put on a smile at that.

"That said though," her father crossed his arms, "you could have visited us alone. You didn't have to bring Yuki-san along."

Fuuka blushed at that. "Well… I also wanted to properly introduce you to Minato-kun. I don't think I would have found the strength to come back without him. I know the previous times you've met him, he's been difficult but I wanted you to really get to know him."

Her mother smiled at the girl's shy expression. "Fuuka… he seems like a wonderful young man."

Her father sighed. "I guess a part of you being happy has to do with him, so how can I say I disapprove of him?"

"Father?" Fuuka was a bit surprised by his reaction.

"But don't think I completely approve of him!" he firmly stated.

"Fuuka," Minato returned from the kitchen and pointed behind him. "I washed everything and set it all on the rack to dry. I also put away the extra ingredients you left out." He paused when he sensed Mr. Yamagishi's intense glare on him. "Um… Yamagishi-san? Is everything all right?"

"You'd better take care of my daughter, Yuki-san," he sternly said. "If you don't…" he let the threat hang.

The blue-eyed boy blinked a few times as that seemed to come out of nowhere. He noticed the blush on Fuuka's face though before seriously nodding in determination. "Of course," he said to the girl's father. "I would never let anything happen to Fuuka."

Not expecting such a straightforward response, Mr. Yamagishi eased up on the boy. "I'll leave her to you then."

"Huh?" Minato knit his eyebrows together in confusion. _What was that about?_ He shifted his gaze towards Fuuka and noticed her sigh of relief. _Well, in any case,_ the blue-haired boy smiled as he returned to her side, _I guess she settled things with her parents._ "Are you finished, Fuuka?"

"Yes," Fuuka nodded. "You had somewhere you wanted to go too, right, Minato-kun?"

"Yeah…" the boy wryly smiled. He bowed to the two adults. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You're welcome here anytime, Minato-san," Mrs. Yamagishi smiled at him. "Please take care of our daughter for us."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded. Her parents followed them to the front door and saw them off. Minato politely bowed once more as he led Fuuka towards Paulownia Mall.

"Thanks for coming with me, Minato-kun," Fuuka told him. "I really wanted them to get to know you since you've become such an important person to me."

"They're your parents," Minato smiled. "Of course they'd be important to you too and I'm glad to have their approval for being your friend."

Fuuka giggled as Hamuko had warned her of the blue-haired boy's obliviousness. "Minato-kun, I wanted you to get their approval in a different way."

"Huh?" Minato crossed his arms. "A different way?" His eyes widened as his cheeks warmed up. "Oh, I see… Right… I wanted to do the same thing today too."

Fuuka blushed at that. "Really?" She paused when she considered something. "What do you mean, Minato-kun?"

The boy wryly smiled at the ground. "My parents might be gone, but there's one place I always go if I ever want to speak with them. This place is important to Hamuko and me, but I've made up my mind. I don't want to keep anything about myself from you." He suddenly stopped walking as they were about halfway across Moonlight Bridge.

Fuuka noticed the distant look on his face and paused to look around the empty bridge. "Is this the place?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah," Minato nodded as he lifted his head up towards the towering metal landmark. "This is where we lost our parents…" he told her with a sigh. "I don't really like coming here, but if I ever need to clear my head, this is the first place I come to. I might not be able to see them like Hamuko can, but I know they're always watching me and this is the closest I can get to them." His bangs fell over his eyes as he felt tears beginning to fill them. "They would have loved you, Fuuka…"

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka gave the boy a comforting hug.

The boy wiped up his tears and pulled her closer to him. "Thanks…" he muttered to her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before reaching into his deep pockets for a few incense sticks. "Here… I want to say a few words to them." He lit the fragrant incense and offered the teal-haired girl a chance to pray with him.

Fuuka accepted them and silently stood beside him. When she was done, she handed the incense back to the blue-haired boy and watched as he carefully stuck them into the sidewalk to slowly burn.

Satisfied with his work, Minato returned to her side. "Mom, Dad… I'm back," he began. "I brought a friend with me today. This is Fuuka Yamagishi… She's the one Hamuko and I have been telling you about." He paused for a moment as he wanted to work out what he wanted to say next. "Um… A lot has happened since I last visited… Hamuko fell in love, but…" he frowned to himself, "Shinji-nii's gone now… You must have met him, right? He's probably with you now, watching over us. Shinji-nii is a bit like me in that he worries a lot, but you'll let him know we're doing fine, right? He meant a lot to Hamuko… Well… he meant a lot to everybody at the dorm. I respected him a lot too, but I guess that's obvious with how I've been addressing him." He shook his head and smirked. "I really tried to hate him in the beginning because I knew he was going to leave Hamuko in the end, but she loved him. He made her happy and I guess I got scared again… I'm sorry for not being the 'harbor of courage' I'm supposed to be, but then again, you've scolded me on that before. I know I'm not courage itself, but I don't like it when I'm afraid. Especially when what I was afraid of last month was love…" He clenched his fists and scowled at himself. "I didn't want Hamuko to love Shinji-nii as much as she did, but I love her too so couldn't bring myself to interfere. I also loved Shinji-nii so it hurt when I realized I failed to protect him. I really wanted to punish myself for my weakness so I ended up hurting another person I cared about." He turned his head towards the girl beside him and smiled. "I don't want to be that type of person though… Fuuka helped me realize that. She's always seen me as her 'harbor of courage' and I want to be able live up to that expectation. It might seem strange coming from me, but that's how I honestly feel. I love her after all."

Fuuka let out a short gasp. "Minato-kun?"

The boy gently held her hand as he continued addressing his parents. "I might still be weak and cowardly, but I want to change. I can't do that alone though, so I've decided to bring her here with me to meet you. Mom, Dad, I've made you both worry about me long enough, but I'll be fine now. Fuuka will be at my side watching over me after all… In return, I'll definitely protect her… I won't just be relying on my own strength this time because now I know everyone else is with me. I'm not alone anymore and I don't think I want to be alone ever again. You both are proud of me for that, right? I hope you are, because it's taken me a long time to realize that. I'm ready to look ahead to the future again. I might not know what lies ahead of us, but as long as I keep in mind what I feel right now, I'm sure we'll be fine. Mom, Dad, please keep watching over us until the very end. I love you guys a lot and I know you two will love Fuuka." He let out a shaky laugh as he tried to keep himself together. He rested his head against the girl's and softly smiled. "Fuuka? Would you like to say something?"

The brown-eyed girl squeezed his hand. "Um… Hello… I'm Fuuka Yamagishi… Minato-kun has told me a lot about you two and I'm sure you were great parents. I'll try my best to watch over Minato-kun. He's very important to me and I hope you'll accept me." She frowned a bit as she sounded too formal. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I was a bit surprised when Minato-kun said all of that, but I'm happy too because I didn't expect for him to feel the same way about me. Whenever he's by my side, I feel as though I can do anything. He's my source of inspiration so I want to be able to share with him the courage he's given me. Even if Minato-kun tends to doubt himself sometimes, I'll always believe in him. I was able to get stronger thanks to him and Hamuko-chan, so I want to do all that I can for them. They've become precious to me, so you don't have to worry; I'll do everything I can to protect them."

Minato smiled as the incense slowly began to die out. "I'll visit again soon and next time I'll bring Hamuko along. I'm almost finished with your last case too so I'll tell you all about the results when it's over. Until then, please keep watching over us."

The juniors stood in silence for a while before Fuuka turned to look at the blue-haired boy. He was staring at the ground with a small smile on his face and Fuuka hugged his arm. "Minato-kun, are you alright?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'll be fine now."

She blushed as she remembered his words. "Did you really mean what you said about me?"

"Of course," he answered in mild surprise. "Do you not believe me?" He looked at her in worry. "I really do love you, Fuuka," he earnestly said as he faced her to give her a hug. "I don't want to lose you…" The boy pulled away from her and studied her expression. "How about you?"

"I love you too, Minato-kun," Fuuka happily smiled at him.

The blue-haired boy let her go and sighed in relief. "I'm glad you feel the same way because I want to give you something." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver locket.

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka studied the sun-shaped charm before opening its moon-like cover. She gasped at the picture of the two of them together with the ocean glimmering in the background. Hamuko had taken the photo for them at Yakushima on the morning they left. "Can I really have this?"

The boy nodded. "My parents gave that to me when I was born and I used to always keep a family picture in there. That photo burned up in the car accident though and I haven't worn it ever since." He felt a bit embarrassed sharing this with her, but it was important that he told her. "I don't remember why but I had Hamuko hang onto this for me. When I asked for it back, she was really happy when I told her I wanted to give it to you. She probably wants to thank you for always taking care of me, so please accept this from us." Minato gingerly helped her put it on before a satisfied smile appeared on his face. "It looks good on you," he told her.

She smiled as she clasped the beautiful necklace. "I'll treasure this forever, Minato-kun." She paused as she remembered her gift for him. "Minato-kun…" she nervously began, "when we return to the dorm, can we go to my room? I have something for you there."

"Sure," he nodded as he looked towards the ocean. "But we still have the rest of the afternoon to do whatever we want before we have to go back. Can I take you somewhere? As a date? I know so much about you that I want to share with you my past too." Minato seriously stared into her brown eyes. "I want you to know everything about me."

"Of course, Minato-kun," Fuuka giggled as she let herself lean against him. She quickly straightened up and pulled on his hand. "Let's go!" The blue-haired boy cheerfully laughed as he let her drag him along.

* * *

The dorm was still empty by the time the two juniors returned. Minato let out a sigh of relief as he entered Fuuka's room. "Well, I'm glad I won't be getting you in trouble."

"Sorry my room smells like food," the girl nervously smiled as she closed the door behind her. "I like to eat in here once in a while… I don't know how my room smells because I'm so used to it…"

The boy tilted his head to the side. "It smells like you," he bluntly told her. "It's a sweet floral fragrance." He closed his eyes and concentrated on an exact description. "It's something I would expect from a field of flowers after a light rain," he nodded. Minato opened his eyes and blushed. "That probably makes me sound like a creep…"

The girl shook her head and giggled at him. "You're just being yourself, Minato-kun," she reassured him. "Do you know that our sense of smell is connected to our memory, and…" she blushed at him too. "Sorry… I don't know what I'm saying… I'm acting weird, aren't I?'

Minato lightly laughed as he hugged her. "You seem like yourself to me, Fuuka," he told her. He protectively held her close to his heart. "My precious, cute wind flower…"

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka's face burned but she quickly remembered why she invited him into her room. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Minato let her go and curiously looked at her. "I want to give you something…" The teal-haired girl looked around her desk. "Um… Here…" She picked up a set of blue and grey headphones. "This is from my heart…" she smiled at Minato as she handed them to him. "I want to be true to myself when I'm with you, Minato-kun, so… I made these for you."

Minato carefully swapped out his old pair with hers and tested them. His eyes widened as the song crisply played in his ears. _"Praying the heart~ When the moon's reaching stars~ If you hold me tight~ Feeling heart beat so close~ Will this last long?~"_

"Fuuka…" Minato gingerly put down the headphones and stared at them in awe.

"Sorry," the girl blushed, "I'm not very feminine, am I…?"

The boy quickly hugged her. "I love the headphones!"

"Really?" Fuuka smiled. "Oh, I'm so happy!" She placed her hands on the speakers he now wore and stared into his blue eyes. "When you listen to them, it will be like I'm there with you, no matter how far away we are."

Minato lost himself in her warm brown eyes and nodded in understanding. "Thank you…" Her face was extremely close to his own and without thinking he pressed his lips against hers. The action surprised Fuuka, but she relaxed in his arms and kissed him back. The boy closed his eyes as he felt a new Persona stir within him.

A female figure wearing a large black hat and long cloak kneeled before him. _"I am Scathach and I have heard your call. I will fight by your side forevermore. No matter the war, I will protect you and those you hold dear. May you always be blessed by the Priestess."_

As the Persona returned to him, Minato broke the kiss and blushed at the red-faced girl before him. "Sorry, Fuuka. I couldn't help myself."

Fuuka shook her head and smiled at him. "I didn't mind, Minato-kun." She allowed herself to enjoy his comforting presence before a thought crossed her mind. She didn't think her face could get any hotter as she sheepishly buried her face into his chest. "Um… I know it's against dorm regulations, but will you stay with me…? Just a little while longer…" Her hands wandered to the buttons on his coat and she let them lightly rest there before pulling herself closer to him.

"Fuuka…?" Minato looked down at her and noticed she didn't seem to want to let him go. With a soft smile on his face, he gently lifted her chin up to stare into her eyes. "If that's what you really want," he leaned his head forward to prepare for another kiss, "then I'll stay for as long as you wish."

* * *

~2 NOVEMBER 2009~

"Good morning," Fuuka giggled as Minato slowly stirred awake.

The blue-eyed boy smiled as he gently kissed her forehead. "Good morning, Fuuka."

The girl sat up in her bed and looked at the calendar hanging above her desk. "Well, tomorrow's the day," she noticed with a stern frown.

"What's tomorrow?" Minato smirked as he hugged her from behind.

"Hey! Don't joke around!" Fuuka said with a laugh.

The boy rested his forehead on her shoulder. "But in all seriousness, I'm ready." He closed his eyes as he thought of the upcoming fight.

"Good," the teal-haired girl placed her hands on his arms as she felt the boy pull her closer to him. "I'll be counting on you." She sighed as she became serious. "I'm positive a Shadow will appear tomorrow. Strega may be up to something as well… Anyway, please make sure you're prepared!" Fuuka cried out in worry.

"You too," Minato nodded. "Whatever happens tomorrow and onwards, remember that I love you, okay?" Fuuka blushed at that as the boy hid his solemn expression from her. _No matter what lies beyond the Hanged Man, I intend to face it head on. So thank you for staying by my side, Fuuka._ "I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, Hamuko, and everyone else," he muttered.

* * *

Hamuko smiled as the entire team gathered in the lounge. Everyone was here and accounted for. _Well, almost everyone,_ Hamuko thought as she played with her watch. _But that's okay. Shinji-kun is still with us and we intend to see this through._ She lifted her head as she sensed the brunet's spirit at her side. She took a deep breath before eyeing her brother leaning against the wall.

"This is it," Minato said with a serious expression on his face.

Fuuka nodded as she looked between the twins. "Tomorrow will be our last operation."

"Yeah…" Yukari wryly smiled as she considered the past year. "We've been through a lot this last six months… Don't ya think?"

Minato tilted his head to the side. "It went by quickly."

"Yeah, huh," the archer frowned.

"It was fun," Hamuko lightly chuckled.

"Mmm…" Yukari paused to consider it for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it had its moments. Still… there was definitely our share of pain as well."

"Even so, I wouldn't change any of it," the co-leader said, closing her eyes as she thought of Shinjiro. She could faintly hear the brunet chuckle.

"Yeah," Junpei pulled his cap down. "It was a lot better than doing nothing, right? Besides, we made some new friends." He smirked at the twins, resulting in Minato crossing his arms and Hamuko beaming at her best friend.

"Yeah," Ken smiled, "I guess."

Akihiko looked up from his boxing gloves and smirked. "Well, it's all been worth it, if you ask me. It's been two and a half years since I got this power… and you don't hear me complaining."

"Sanada-san…" Ken's eyes grew wide.

Koromaru barked as he didn't want to be left out too. Fuuka chuckled at the white dog as she pet him. "Don't forget, we got to meet Koro-chan, too," she said. "In any case… two and a half years is a long time, right, Akihiko-senpai…? Oh wait…" She cast her brown eyes towards the blonde robot standing near the twins. "It's been even longer for Aigis, hasn't it?"

Aigis nodded her head. "I was asleep for much of the time, so I have not been in operation for very long."

"How 'bout you, Mitsuru-senpai?" Junpei curiously asked the redhead. "You started before Akihiko-san, right?"

"Me?" The senior frowned. "Yes, it was just me at first." She glanced at Minato and Hamuko but said nothing. "Of course, back then, SEES didn't exist, and this was just a regular dorm."

"Did the Chairman recruit you?" Yukari asked.

"No…" Mitsuru shook her head. "I've been aware of the Dark Hour since I was a child… One time, my father's research team was attacked by Shadows. That's when I awakened to my Persona… when I witnessed the incident."

Hamuko frowned at that. "Really?"

"That's what happened…?" Yukari was surprised too.

"It seems I was the first," the senior continued, not looking at the rest of the team. "If that had never happened, perhaps none of you would have to bear this terrible burden."

"Senpai…" Fuuka frowned.

Minato shook his head. "I don't see it like that, Senpai," the blue-haired boy said. "Despite all that's happened, I don't regret joining SEES."

Akihiko nodded in agreement. "It would've happened to someone eventually… Besides," he punched his left hand into his right palm, "the enemy can't just be ignored."

Mitsuru studied the boxer's face before sighing. "I suppose that's true."

The entire team remained silent as they all contemplated the next night. Hamuko took in a deep breath as she saw the Fool flash before her eyes. _So after ten years of the Dark Hour, nii-san and I will be free of it._ She looked towards her brother and smiled at him.

The blue-haired leader smiled back and nodded to her. _We'll get through this together_ , he seemed to say.

Mitsuru was the first to get up. "Tomorrow is a big day…" she began, "so make sure you get your rest."

* * *

~3 NOVEMBER 2009~

 _"I found it,"_ Fuuka said, opening her eyes. _"It's currently at the south end of the Moonlight Bridge. The 12_ _th_ _and final Shadow."_

"Moonlight Bridge…" Hamuko murmured. Her brother shifted beside her but said nothing.

Ikutsuki crossed his arms as he remained in his seat. "Hmmm. This is it…"

 _"And as we expected,"_ Fuuka continued, _"there are two Persona-users nearby… Strega."_

Akihiko, Ken, and Hamuko looked to each other with a nod. Mitsuru saw their exchange but addressed the entire team. "They know this is their last chance. Even though we were expecting this, we should still be careful."

Ken clenched his small fists. "Those bastards…"

"Hmph," Akihiko eagerly smirked. "Saves us the trouble of looking for them."

"You've all done a fine job up to this point," Mitsuru scanned the faces of everyone on the team. "This will be our last operation. Let's all come back safely."

Minato tightly clenched his sword and looked over to his sister. The red-eyed junior nodded to the group. "Let's go all-out!" she cried.

Junpei raised a fist at that. "Hell yeah!"

"Well, then…" Mitsuru started for the door. "We should be going."

"Okay…" Ikutsuki nodded. "Be careful."

"Let's go!" the Student Council President commanded.

* * *

Takaya and Jin stood in their way as the group approached the duo. Minato looked beyond them and saw the Shadow hanging in the air. Takaya noticed the leader not paying any attention to him so stepped in the boy's line of sight. "You know the significance of today, do you not?" the shirtless boy asked.

"Of course," Minato said, crouching into a ready position. "Today's the final battle."

Takaya glared at him. "You claim you hunt the Shadows to prevent the disaster they bring… Yet, countless lives are lost each day without their intervention… The power we wield is not itself evil… You cannot deny that. So why don't you just admit it?"

"We've never denied it," Hamuko shook her head as she prepared her naginata. "This is just what we've decided to use our power for. Finally after years of putting up with the Dark Hour, we'll finally be able to get rid of it."

Takaya shook his head at her. "You do not wish to eliminate the Dark Hour… You are merely deceiving yourselves…"

"Don't speak as if you understand what my sister and I went through," Minato narrowed his eyes. "That's not true for us."

"You are indeed foolish children…" the shirtless young man sighed. "Erasing the Dark Hour is the same as erasing yourselves." He pulled out his revolver, causing everyone in SEES to tense up. "Tch. Is even that beyond your comprehension? As I believed, our goals are irreconcilable."

"What a shame," Minato coolly responded.

"Jin…" Takaya looked to his partner expectantly.

The blue-haired explosions specialist glared at their enemy. "Forget these maggots," he spat.

"Fate shall decide who will prevail," Takaya smirked. "Come." He cocked his gun. "Now, you shall be judged."

Jin smirked as he pulled out a small bomb. "There's no cure for stupidity."

Minato looked to his team. "Aigis!" he called out. "Let's go!" The robot quickly leapt into the air and fired a barrage of bullets at Strega. The two renegades summoned their Personas to defend them, but the incessant attacks weakened them a bit. Minato took the chance to have half the team circle around them. With Strega surrounded, the odds were in their favor. The blue-haired SEES swordsman pulled out his Evoker. "Persona!" Scathach emerged and cast Mabufudyne. As she disappeared, Minato winced as he wasn't quite strong enough to handle her power on his own.

Jin quickly recovered as he prepared his own Evoker. "Play time's over, kids. It's time for the real deal!" His Persona emerged and cast a fire spell against all of SEES. Koromaru barked as the flames didn't harm him. He rushed forward and slashed as the glasses-wearing boy. "Tch, someone should put you down," Jin scowled as he pushed the creature off of him.

Ken pole-vaulted himself from the ground and kicked the Strega member. Jin staggered a bit and the young child only smirked at him. "You can't win against all of us!"

Takaya let out a cry as Hypnos appeared above them. "It appears you have more than just luck on your side!" he glared at them. "So be it! Jin, cover me while I prepare my attack!"

"Right!" Jin threw down a smokescreen.

"Fuuka!" Minato called out. "You're out in the open, right?"

 _"Yes, but you're all in the smoke! I can still sense Strega, but Takaya's preparing a Mind Charge! He's five meters out from your 11:30."_

"Get whoever's closest to you at your side now!" he ordered. "Yukari, Hamuko, the three of us will try to clear the air. Everyone else, prepare to throw up a guard!"

Hamuko blinked back the tears in her eyes caused from the irritating smoke. "Swapping to Titania!" She fired her Evoker.

"Magarula!" Yukari summoned Io.

Minato grunted as he called for Pazuzu. He heard Takaya groan as his spell hit. The smokescreen quickly cleared and Minato charged towards the shirtless freak with his blade out.

 _"Minato-kun! He's preparing a Megido spell!"_

"Everyone, guard!" the leader called out as he brought his sword up to defend himself. Being the closest to Hypnos, he took the brunt of the attack, but quickly swapped his Persona to Melchizedek. "Mediarahan!" The swordsman retreated as he saw a white blur rush past him.

"Let's go!" Akihiko punched Takaya with all his might. His fist connected with the shirtless boy's jaw and he continued his onslaught of attacks.

Takaya staggered backwards once the boxer finished and wiped the blood coming from his mouth. "I never imagined that your power would rival ours… Astonishing… Perhaps I misjudged your strength."

Jin fell against Takaya as Hermes rammed into him. "Oh, you're gonna pay for this!" he glared at them. "Takaya!" He summoned his Persona and a red light enveloped his friend. Jin threw another smokescreen.

"Fuuka!" Minato called out.

 _"Jin is two meters directly in front of you! Takaya's evading everyone!"_

Minato quickly fired his Evoker. "Pazuzu!" The leader saw Jin get tossed up a little and hurried towards his opponent.

 _"Minato-kun, Takaya finished a Mind Charge! I think he's going for another Megido!"_

"Get whoever's closest to him to take him out now!" Minato stabbed his sword forward and saw Jin dodge to the side after recovering from the powerful Garudyne. The swordsman grabbed the blue-haired nerd and smashed his skull into the older boy's face, cracking his glasses. For good measure, he summoned Scathach once more to cast Magarudyne, clearing the smoke.

Taking the wind spell head-on, Jin collapsed to the ground with a groan. "Shit… These guys are tougher than I thought!"

Minato quickly searched around for Takaya but noticed Hypnos aiming an Agidyne. The boy's blue eyes widened as his body automatically bolted towards Juno. "Fuuka!" He took the flames head-on as Scathach screamed in pain within him.

Takaya shook his head at the blue-haired boy as he stood over him. "Fool…" He kicked Minato and watched him writhe in pain. "I was hoping to get rid of your data-gatherer, but I suppose you'll suffice." He pointed his gun at the junior. "Any last words?" The SEES leader lifted his head up and glared at him. Takaya sighed at him. "Such wasted potential…"

"I don't think so," Minato smirked as Hamuko tackled into the Strega member.

"Get away from my brother!" the brunette roared as swung her naginata at the shirtless male.

"I have no business with the likes of you," Takaya sneered at her as he dodged all her attacks. He winced as the blade of her weapon scratched him across the chest.

"If you mess with nii-san, you mess with me," Hamuko countered. "Minato!" she called out to her brother.

"On it!" The SEES leader quickly rolled to his feet as Io cast Diarama on him. His blue eyes flashed as Takaya looked between the twins. "Takaya!" Minato pulled out his Evoker. "When we fought before, I never showed you my true power." He pointed the gun to his head. "Hamuko, do you have Cu Chulainn?"

Hamuko smirked as her Evoker was already in position. "Let's go, nii-san! Cu Chulainn!"

"Scathach!"

"Fusion Spell: Shadow Hound!"

Takaya's eyes widened as he felt something heavy crash into him. "Ugh…" He collapsed to his knees. "So, this is the power of those whose Persona awakened naturally…" He glared at Minato as the rest of SEES gathered around their leader.

The tired junior collapsed into a sitting position with a relieved sigh. "We did it," he said with a light laugh. Minato flinched when his friends all chastised him for his recklessness.

"Yuki, what have I told you about using yourself as a shield?"

"Nii-san! You could have been killed!"

"Minato-san, it is my duty to protect you, but I do not understand why you willingly put yourself in danger."

"Come on, dude. You have to stop showing off."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with Junpei, but you're an idiot for doing that, Minato!"

"You moron, what if we lost you too? What would Shinji think if he saw you again so soon?"

"Yuki-san, please don't do that ever again."

Koromaru whined as he licked Minato. The blue-haired boy laughed. "Okay, okay. I get it. Stop it, Koromaru. That tickles." He looked up towards Fuuka as she stared at him in worry. "Sorry, everyone…" He said, fiddling with his headphones. "I just had to take that attack…"

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka brought a hand up to her locket but she was glad he was safe.

Junpei pulled the blue-haired boy back up to his feet and Minato turned to face Strega. Jin made his way towards Takaya and helped support his friend. "Dammit… Is their power THAT different than ours…?"

"Different?" Mitsuru looked at them oddly.

"For us, it's not that simple…" Jin frowned. "It has to be forced out. Didn't your pal tell you?"

Akihiko glared at them. "So it was you who was giving Shinji those pills."

"You guys don't have the slightest clue what will happen if the Dark Hour disappears, do you?" Jin glared back. "It won't matter for normal people, since they don't remember anything anyway… But for us—"

Minato frowned as Takaya interrupted him. "That's enough." Takaya straightened himself out and glared at the entire team. Minato tensed up as he sensed the older boy's murderous intent. "Now, then… Ordinarily, we'd withdraw… but not tonight." He pulled out his revolver once more as Minato took a step forward. "This body, as ephemeral as it is… It is worthless without my power." He pointed the gun to his head as everyone stared at him with wide eyes. "Therefore, only one choice remains… I shall prove my existence here and now!" Jin quickly reached towards his friend and pulled his arm away. "What are you doing!?" Takaya turned to his partner in surprise.

"Don't be so reckless!" Jin scolded him.

"Jin!?" Takaya's eyes widened but the blue-haired boy shook his head.

"Sorry. But… those are your words, not mine." Jin turned to SEES and frowned to them. "You win… Looks like you'll get your wish… Go do what you came for." Both Strega members backed up into the railing of the bridge.

Junpei shook his head and tried to take a step forward. "Wait!"

"I'd rather die than surrender to you!" Jin called out to them. He spread his arms out. "Take a good look! This is how we live!" Both of them leaned back and fell off the bridge. Minato and Junpei ran forward but they heard a splash in the blood-red sea below them.

Yukari frowned and lowered her gaze. "They jumped…"

"What the hell were they thinking!?" Junpei yelled.

"They chose their own fate," Akihiko shook his head. "Don't let it faze you."

"The operation has only begun," Mitsuru said, turning towards the Shadow they had come for. "Our true adversary is waiting… Focus on that, alright?" She couldn't hide the frown on her face though.

 _I don't think I'll ever understand Strega…_ Minato thought as he shook his head. "Let's go, everyone," he sighed as he picked up his sword. He looked towards Fuuka expectantly and she nodded to him.

"The Shadow up ahead is not moving at the moment," she informed the team. "It'll be all over if you can defeat it."

"Nii-san, can you still fight?" Hamuko stared at her brother in concern.

"Don't think I'm sitting this out," he sternly replied. "This is the last battle so it's only fitting we do this as a team." Minato scanned all of SEES and noticed they all shared his sentiments. Turning to face the Shadow, their field leader raised his sword. "Everyone, it's time we ended the Dark Hour. Fuuka, keep your distance." His blue eyes narrowed on the Shadow. "Everyone else, let's move out!"

As they engaged the Shadow, the Hanged Man hovered above them. Fuuka quickly began her scan. _"This is it… I'll do everything in my power to help you. Just promise me that you'll be careful!"_

"Of course, Fuuka," Minato told her. He watched as Yukari and Aigis were the only ones capable of damaging the large Shadow. Three statues stood before them and refused to budge so the blue-haired boy sliced at one. "So what's with these things?"

 _"I think that floating thing is your main target, but… It's out of your attack range… Give me a minute… I'll see what I can find out."_

Hamuko dodged an Agilao coming from the far left statue as Mitsuru quickly evaded a Zionga from the one on the far right. Mitsuru tried to cast Bufudyne on the middle one, only to have the attack stop short of it. "So they all have different affinities. Be careful, everyone!"

"Aigis, Yukari, stick to the left side!" Minato summoned Melchizedek to heal everyone. "Akihiko-san, Ken, to the right! Mitsuru-senpai, stay where you are! Junpei, Koro, more towards the left and take as many fire spells headed her way as you can! Hamuko, you and I will take Senpai's other side!"

Junpei summoned Hermes. "Come on!" After his Persona rammed into the fire-based figure, he smirked as it disintegrated. "Okay! Onto the middle statue!"

 _"For some reason, those statues feel similar to that floating Shadow. They must be related somehow."_

Akihiko defeated the second statue as Hamuko brought her naginata up to slice the last one. The brunette was surprised when the large Shadow above them suddenly fell. She quickly called out to the team. "Get back!" She jumped to the side to avoid the Shadow, but smirked as the Hanged Man was down. "Let's wipe them all out!"

Minato smirked back as everyone was eager for an All-Out Attack. "Get ready for some Mass Destruction!"

The Shadow took massive damage as the team relentlessly barraged it with their attacks. It roared as it dropped a fist on the team. Koromaru barked in warning as he and Aigis jumped away.

 _"It's calling for help!"_ Fuuka warned them.

Three new statues appeared and Minato saw it rise back into the air again. "Tch! Aigis! Scale up the bridge and take out the hangers! Yukari, support her! Everyone else, keep the statues busy!"

"Understood!" Aigis nodded as she launched herself into the air using a statue. The robot grabbed a metal wire and pulled herself onto the bridge. She quickly started for the tower and notified everyone of her position. "Preparing to fire!"

Hamuko called out to the rest of the team. "Get back!"

Minato kicked at the ground to launch himself backwards as the Shadow fell in front of him. Taking advantage of the opening, Junpei and Koromaru unleashed their most powerful fire spells and Minato's eyes widened as he stared at the scene in front of him. Aigis jumped down from the bridge, firing another round of shots on the downed Shadow. The blue-haired leader flinched as the sound of bullets hitting the pavement brought back a distant memory.

 _"Hamuko!"_ a young boy screamed in his mind.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko shoved her brother out of the way as the Hanged Man tried to use God's Hand again.

Startled by the action, Minato fell to the ground, dropping his sword. He was face to the face with the Shadow and his blue eyes fixedly stared at the mask it wore. A voice whispered to him as he remained frozen in place. _"Death is coming…"_

"D-death?" Minato asked aloud.

 _"Minato-kun! Look out!"_

The boy couldn't react to the Shadow's hand in time as it picked him up. _"Remember your purpose…"_ Minato screamed as his head threatened to split open.

"The statues are reforming!" Mitsuru called out.

"Should I down the Shadow again?" Aigis asked.

"It has nii-san!" Hamuko shook her head. "We'll have to focus on the statues! Yukari, Ai-chan, try to get him free! Fuuka-chan! What's wrong with him!?"

 _"The Shadow's interfering with his thoughts!"_

Minato winced as images of Moonlight Bridge flashed through his mind. He vaguely remembered being pulled out of the burning car by someone. His younger self quickly scrambled to his feet. _"Hamuko!?"_ he screamed. _"I'm coming to get you! Let me go!"_ The powerful grip around him loosened as he charged forward into the fire. _"Hamuko! Wake up! Mom! Dad! They're still in the car! I have to save them!"_

 _That's right…_ Minato thought to himself. _I pulled her out of the fire back then… I tried to go back for Mom and Dad too, but…_

 _"Nii-san! No!"_ The seven-year-old brunette pulled him back. _"You can't! Don't leave me alone too! Mom! Dad! They're already gone! Please…"_ she weakly sobbed. _"Don't leave me by myself…"_

 _"B-but…! This is all my fault…"_ The young boy turned towards her and tearfully said something else.

 _What did I say back then?_ Minato's head hurt as he tried to focus on the memory. It quickly faded away. _Why was it my fault? Stop! I need to figure out what happened! Wait!_ The Shadow tightened its grip around him and the boy let out a shout of pain. "What the hell do you want from me!?"

 _"I don't want to die…"_ the Shadow whispered as it toppled to the ground again.

"It's finally down!" Akihiko gasped.

"It's no good! It's still holding Yuki-san!" Ken shook his head. "Let him go!"

"Nii-san!"

 _"Minato-kun!"_ Fuuka did her best to reach him.

"Minato!" Hamuko tried to call out for her brother once more as the rest of SEES performed another All-Out Attack.

The Shadow let out a pained roar as it was on its last legs. _"I don't want to die…"_ It crawled towards the edge of the bridge. _"I don't want to die…!"_

Minato felt the Hanged Man's grip loosen around him. "I don't want to die either!" he yelled as he freed himself. The Shadow toppled over the side and tried to grab at the boy once more as it disintegrated. Minato did his best to back away from the edge but he tripped over his own footing and lost his balance. His eyes widened as he felt himself fall forward, towards the blood-red water, but a hand quickly grabbed him by the wrist and held him back. Minato quickly wrapped his hand around the person's arm and felt a leather strap around their wrist. "Hamu-kun…" he quietly gasped as Hamuko carefully pull him into a steady standing position.

"Nii-san," the brunette sighed in relief. "Thank goodness I made it in time," she whispered. "What would I do if I lost you here of all places?" She let go of her brother and frowned at the ground.

"Sorry…" The older twin took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "For us, it all began here on Moonlight Bridge, didn't it?" Minato sighed at the faint memories he had of the accident. He put on a small smile and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "As much as I hate coming here, I'm glad we were able to finish things at the place we lost Mom and Dad. I think we can move on now. Don't you think?"

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded to him before the two gave each other a smile. The twins wryly chuckled as they returned to the rest of SEES.

Everyone else on the team was silently taking in their victory but a few of them seemed uncertain about what to do now. Yukari frowned at the ground as Junpei looked around the empty bridge. "Is it over?" the capped boy asked.

"Operation completed," Aigis nodded. "Or should I say, 'Mission complete'."

"Yes…" Mitsuru wore a relieved smile. "It's finally over…"

"I believe a celebration is in order," the robot said, turning to the twins. "What will be our victory cheer?"

Minato tilted his head to the side and frowned. His face grew red though as his stomach began growling. Hamuko smirked at that and raised her fist into the air. "Let's eat!" she cried out.

Aigis nodded. "1… 2… 3… Let's eat!"

Fuuka joined the blonde girl. "Let's… eat!?" She blinked at Hamuko as all of SEES laughed.

Yukari shook her head at their co-leader. "What was that?"

Ken tilted his head to the side and curiously studied Aigis. "Huh. I wonder if Aigis-san gets hungry…"

Junpei smirked at an idea. "So, um, Senpai…" He eagerly approached Mitsuru's side. "You're gonna throw us a party tomorrow, right?"

The redhead sighed. "You don't waste any time, do you? Well, I suppose I could arrange for it."

"Ooh!" The capped boy's eyes widened. "In that case, how 'bout sushi!?"

"Sushi, huh…" Akihiko crossed his arms and smirked. "It's been a while… Well, I've got dibs on the halibut and sea urchin!"

Yukari raised her hand. "Oh, then I call the fatty tuna."

"Um," Fuuka frowned. "We're divvying it up already? In that case, save me the salmon roe."

"Hey, wait a minute…" Junpei shook his head at them. "You can't do that!"

Hamuko jumped up. "The sweet shrimp's mine!"

"What, you too!?" Junpei sighed.

Aigis raised her hand too. "I reserve the shrimp, squid, scallops, and sea eel."

"Hey!" The capped junior glared at the robot. "That's not fair! You don't even eat!"

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," Ken sighed, "fighting over sushi." Koromaru barked in agreement. The young boy looked up at Mitsuru with a smile. "Senpai, please order tamago for me. They say you can tell a chef's skill by how he prepares eggs."

"Um," Yukari frowned at the elementary school student. "How old are you again?"

Minato tilted his head to the side as he made his request. "Senpai, please don't forget the snapper, yellowtail, salmon, octopus, mackerel, albacore…" The blue-haired boy began to salivate as he continued listing off the cuts of fish he wanted.

"Okay, okay," Mitsuru laughed as his list appeared to be endless. "I'll have the very best delivered tomorrow."

"For real!?" Junpei brightened at that. "Aw man, it's great to be alive!"

"Don't get too excited, Junpei," Yukari smirked at him. "You're getting the leftovers."

"What!? But, it was my idea in the first place!"

Everybody laughed. Mitsuru smiled at the team as she brought them back on track. "I guess it's time to say goodbye to the Dark Hour. Even though it seemed like a curse, for some reason I'm reluctant to let it go."

The entire team paused and Akihiko solemnly nodded his head. "Yeah…"

"We really did it," Yukari smiled before faltering, "didn't we…?"

"Yes…" Mitsuru nodded to her. "We saved the world, even if no one knows it."

"Yeah," the archer frowned.

Minato turned back to stare at the bloody ocean. _Tomorrow we'll know for sure… Just a little while longer now…_ He glanced up at the bridge and took a deep breath. _I'm ready to leave this place behind me and move forward with my life._ He paused as he saw two lights in the distance. _Mom? Dad?_ He blinked a few times but the lights quickly faded away.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Hamuko frowned as her brother wasn't in his bed. She approached his sink and noticed it hadn't been used. "Where is he?" she crossed her arms. "We're going to be late…"

She went back upstairs and knocked on Aigis's door. The robot quickly answered and saluted her. "Is something wrong, Hamuko-san?"

"Do you know where Minato's at?" she asked in concern.

Aigis looked around the dorm and scanned the building. She pointed at Fuuka's door. "It appears Minato-san is with Fuuka-san."

"Really?" Hamuko smirked.

Fuuka emerged from her room and looked at the two other juniors in surprise. "Oh, good morning," she nervously smiled.

"Fuuka-chan, have you seen nii-san?" the red-eyed girl asked with a devilish smile on her face. "He's not in his room."

The teal-haired girl's face went red. "N-no… Have you checked downstairs?"

Aigis looked at Hamuko in confusion. "But I already notified you that Minato-san is—"

Fuuka's eyes widened. "Huh!?"

"Ai-chan!" Hamuko quickly pulled the robot along behind her. "How about you help me make breakfast? Fuuka-chan, if you see Minato, tell him he owes me dinner for the rest of the week."

"Um…" the brown-eyed junior nervously nodded her head. "O-okay then… Is that really necessary though, Hamuko-chan?"

"I don't know," the upbeat girl smirked. "Is it?" She stared at the necklace Fuuka was wearing before going down the stairs. "By the way, that locket suits you!"

Fuuka didn't say anything as her face burned up even more. She waited until she was certain the hallway was completely empty before knocking on her bedroom door. "Minato-kun… Hamuko-chan left with Aigis."

Minato sighed as he gave his girlfriend an apologetic look. "Sorry for the trouble, Fuuka." He shook his head. "It's hard for me to hide things from her, but she's my sister. There's not much I can do about it." He straightened up and cautiously studied the empty hallway. "That said, Hamuko might tease us, but at least she can keep a secret. And I wouldn't worry about Aigis."

The girl nodded to him and smiled. "Well, I don't mind the dorm knowing we're dating. The only problem is that it'll be hard for us to get time alone from now on, but thank you for staying with me last night." She clutched her locket. "I hope we can do this again in the future…" she sheepishly muttered.

The boy blushed as he quickly turned down the hall. He nervously coughed into his hand. "Y-yeah… Well… I'd better get ready for school. Hamuko will kill me if I end up making her late. I'll meet you downstairs then!" He quickly disappeared to the second floor.

Fuuka giggled at her easily embarrassed boyfriend. "Minato-kun…" _You're very cute sometimes too_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** That's the only problem I find going after Fuuka... There's never a chance to be alone with her at night because I'm pretty sure she's in the command room working each night with Mitsuru. But... interesting enough, Fuuka and Minato can totally spend all night at Tartarus after everyone ditches me for being too tired. But that's not very optimal if they want to spend time together... But anyways, Hidetoshi! Still wish he was a dateable option for Hamuko. And... I still think Fuuka's Social Link is boring. Also, why is it that everyone in this game has familial problems? It's kinda depressing... but then again, this entire game is depression personified... Heh... I made a slight pun without meaning to... Too bad it's not funny.


	39. Fall of the Kirijo Group

**Author's Notes:** Huh... I forgot to mention my view on Hamuko's version of Fuuka's Social Link. Well, I liked it a lot better than Minato's, that's for sure. A problem with Fuuka's original link is that in the end, she gives up on cooking. I know she wants to be true to herself, but she doesn't have to completely drop it altogether... I mean, I love her Social Link item since it fits Minato more than some of what the other girls give but her giving up kinda makes me feel like I wasted a lot of effort helping her for nothing... I like that Fuuka sticks with it in Hamuko's route while still going after what she really want to do. But a thought just occured to me... If Fuuka stopped pursuing cooking in Minato's route, what's with the cookies she baked for Christmas?

* * *

~4 NOVEMBER 2009~

Hamuko was mildly surprised to see her brother already brushing his teeth. "Nii-san? You woke up on your own?"

Minato gurgled some water before spitting into the sink. "Pharos woke me up," he shrugged, pointing to the smiling boy on his bed. "We were waiting for you."

The red-eyed girl blinked as she noticed their young friend. "Good morning," she smiled at him, closing the door behind her.

"Good morning," Pharos nodded to her. "This is the first time we've talked during the daytime." He stared out the window and enjoyed the sunshine. "Nice weather, isn't it? This is indeed a new day. For all of us." He stood up and brightly smiled at the twins. "All the fragments of my memory… They've finally come together. I now know my role clearly."

"Your role?" Minato blinked as he recalled the Hanged Man Shadow saying something similar.

Pharos nodded as he frowned. "The time has come. As difficult as it may be, I must tell you something. I am afraid this is goodbye. I want you to know… For me, our friendship was a miracle. But, miracles don't last forever." He looked up at the two and tried to give them his best smile. "If only they did."

Minato sadly frowned at the young boy. "It doesn't matter," he sighed.

"You're right," the blue-eyed boy nodded. "What's important is that it happened."

"That's true but it's not exactly what I meant," the older boy shook his head. "I mean, there is no forever."

Pharos tilted his head to the side. "Maybe you're right. Even if there was a thing as eternity, how would we ever know? It would be the same as if it didn't exist."

Hamuko knelt down in front the boy and sadly stared into his blue eyes. "So, we can't see you anymore?"

Pharos gave her a comforting hug. "I shall treasure our conversations always," he told her. "Even if today is the end, the bond between us can never be severed." Tears filled his eyes as he continued to smile. "Remember that."

Hamuko returned his hug and nodded before getting back up. "I'll miss you, Pharos," she told him. "Even if nii-san won't admit it, he'll miss you too."

Minato smirked at the younger boy. "Take care of yourself," he nodded.

Pharos lightly laughed at the twins. "It was fun while it lasted." He slowly faded away. "Farewell."

The twins saw a bright flash of light as both Orpheus appeared before them. They quickly combined and the Reaper Persona they first summoned bowed its head to them. _"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy souls, I cometh."_ It flexed a bit, resulting in the coffins floating behind it to clatter. _"I am Thanatos, God of Death. From now until the end, I will walk by your sides, masters of light and shadow."_

"Thanatos?" Hamuko stared as the great Persona split itself up and returned to them both. She closed her eyes and tried to search for her old Persona but she ended up shaking her head. "I can't find Orpheus anywhere."

Minato tried to do the same thing. "I think they're gone…" he frowned. "Just like Pharos…" He approached his window and stared at the school. "I didn't think we could lose a Persona, but I guess we're no longer Orpheus."

Hamuko stood at her brother's side and frowned. "That's good, right? It means we've changed since then. Just like Akihiko-senpai, Ken-kun, and Fuuka-chan…"

"But why are we Thanatos?" Minato shook his head. "We went from Fools to Death. I don't know whether that's progress or not."

"Well, I still think we're Fools," the brunette wryly smiled. "I still sense the other Personas we have. Theo once told me that the Wild Card ability is something unique to Fools." She looked out the window and smiled at the new day.

Minato did the same and blinked when he noticed something different with the school. "Huh?" He hurried to the window to get a better look and frowned.

Hamuko cast her gaze towards Gekkoukan too. "Nii-san? Is something wrong?"

"It's gone…" the blue-haired boy muttered. "The Reaper cloud is gone…"

His sister's eyes widened in surprise. "Does that mean we really…?"

"I think so," Minato breathlessly said. A smile appeared on his face as he ecstatically grabbed his school bag. "I've got to tell Fuuka! This is fantastic!"

Hamuko laughed as she went after her brother. "Nii-san! Slow down!" She closed his bedroom door behind her and paused as she noticed her watch. She smiled to herself before bringing her wrist up to her lips. "Shinji-kun… we really did it!" She sadly frowned as it slowly dawned on her that if Minato lost his Reapers, she also loses her ability to see spirits. _I guess this is goodbye…_ A strange loneliness filled her but she soon heard her brother and his girlfriend speaking downstairs. Hamuko put on a small smile before she decided to join them.

* * *

Minato's eyes grew wide as he saw the spread of sushi laid out on the table. _Wow… Today just keeps getting better and better…_ He counted out the various slices of fish being served as his smile grew.

"Whoa…" Junpei was just as eager as their leader to start. "Nice spread."

"The slices are huge!" Yukari commented.

"Man," Junpei smirked at the team. "I'm starving… Can we eat?"

Ken looked around the lounge. "Hey, where are Aigis-san and Ikutsuki-san?"

Minato paused and looked around. Akihiko shook his head as he set out the plates. "He took her to the lab for a tune-up or something," the boxer explained. "He said they'd join us later."

The blue-haired boy's smile faded. _So that's not suspicious at all…_ He stared back at the sushi. _But with the Dark Hour and Reapers gone, what can he expect to do now?_ "Well, if he's not here," Minato smirked as he impatiently grabbed a plate and pair of chopsticks, "that just means it's more for us."

Fuuka giggled at her boyfriend. "The Chairman just can't stay away from the lab, can he?"

Everyone paused as they heard a car stop outside the dorm. They heard various doors slam shut and Mitsuru quickly approached the front entrance. "That must be my father," she said. She opened the door and let the head of the Kirijo Group in. Behind him were two bodyguards in suits. The redhead nodded to her father with a smile. "We've been waiting for you."

"So, it's over at last, huh…" Takeharu seemed to be smiling.

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded.

"Congratulation, everyone," the man turned to the children. "You've done well. There are no words to express my gratitude. Though you will never receive the recognition you deserve, it is undoubtedly a monumental achievement."

Akihiko smiled at that. "Thank you."

Takeharu carefully approached Yukari and took her hand. "To you, I owe a special thanks… For lending us your power until the very end."

"Oh, it's…" Yukari tried to put on a smile. "It's no big deal."

Takeharu released her hand and cast his eyes over everyone else. "The 12 Shadows that were the cause of all our troubles have been destroyed, thanks to your efforts. You needn't bear this burden any longer," he frowned to himself. "You deserve a chance to experience the joys of youth. The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad will be dissolved as of midnight tonight. No longer must you put your lives on the line in battle. Tomorrow, you can triumphantly return to a normal school life." The party turned to each other in surprise. Takeharu noticed their discontent frowns. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh," Akihiko tried to smile, "it's nothing…"

Mitsuru shared his sentiments but quickly turned their attention to why they were all gathered. "Alright, everyone… It's time to celebrate," she smiled to them. "Your feast awaits you. There's no need to hold back; eat as much as you'd like."

Junpei jumped at her words. "Sweet! I've been waiting for you to say that!"

Both Hamuko and Minato clapped their hands together. "Itadakimasu!" The two wore identical competitive smirks as they began devouring everything in sight.

After a while, most of the food was gone. Seeing how everyone's pace was now slowing down, Junpei quickly stood up. The capped boy urgently waved a camera around. "Listen up, everyone… I have an idea…" he smirked at the entire team. "How 'bout we all take a picture?" He frowned as he stared at his camera. "Actually, I tried to take one last night… but I forgot it wouldn't work during the Dark Hour."

Akihiko knit his eyebrows together. "You mean… you brought a camera with you into battle?"

"Well, it was our LAST battle, after all," Junpei smirked.

Minato sighed and shook his head. "You should have said something sooner. My camera works during the Dark Hour," the leader rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Yukari turned to him in surprise.

"So does my music player, Hamuko's music player, my laptop, Fuuka's laptop, Fuuka's camera…" Minato listed off the things he and Fuuka worked on together over the course of the year.

Hamuko quickly cut him off. "Yeah, yeah. We get it, nii-san. But about that picture?" She made a rectangular frame with her hands in front of the front door and smirked. "Come line up, everyone!"

Junpei walked up to one of the bodyguards. "Hey! 'Scuse me, mister! Would you mind taking our picture?"

Yukari sighed as she stood between Hamuko and Fuuka. "I feel like such a tourist. But, I have to admit…" She smiled at both her friends. "I kinda want a picture too…"

Fuuka chuckled as Mitsuru stood at her right. "I'm so glad to have a photo with Yukari-chan and Hamuko-chan! I'll treasure it!"

Hamuko sternly pulled on Minato's arm as she noticed him trying to escape. "Nii-san, you're standing next to me!"

"You know I don't like being in group pictures," Minato groaned. "It's way too claustrophobic," he muttered. He sighed as he tried to make the most of the situation.

Junpei stood behind the girls but frowned when he remembered something. "Oh, wait… Ikutsuki-san and Aigis aren't here. I guess we'll have to take another one later."

"Can we just hurry this up?" Minato rolled his eyes.

"Alright," the capped boy smirked. "Everyone get together." He eagerly smiled at the girls in front of him. "C'mon, squeeze tight! Everyone come in closer to me!"

Akihiko frowned as he stood at the tall junior's side. "Does that include me too?"

"Uh, no…" Junpei frowned. "Not you…"

"Geez," Yukari sighed. "Let's not keep this poor guy waiting all day to take the picture! Hey, we're good to go. You can take the pictures anytime!"

The man holding the camera frowned as Junpei was still fidgeting in the back. "Is everyone ready?"

"You bet!" Junpei smirked.

Akihiko impatiently frowned at him. "Knock it off."

"Time to strike a pose!" Junpei pushed his right arm forward to do a victory sign.

Fuuka giggled at his antics. "C'mon, quit fooling around, Junpei-kun."

"Knock it off, will ya?" Akihiko scolded the capped boy. He pushed the junior's arm aside. "Hey, get your hand outta my face!"

Junpei tripped backwards and everyone turned to the junior in surprise. Minato heard the camera click and wryly smiled at what was probably captured. He laughed as everyone looked to their usually reserved leader in surprise. Seeing him honestly enjoying himself, the rest of SEES smirked to each other.

"Nii-san…" Hamuko smiled at her brother as everyone else went to check on the picture. _He's so normal now…_ She frowned as she didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Junpei frowned as he studied the shot. "Is it just me… or did this not get my good side?" He urgently turned towards Mitsuru. "W-we're gonna take another one once Aigis and Ikutsuki-san comes back, alright!?"

"Yes, yes," Mitsuru laughed, "we hear you. I could get used to a worry-free life like this…"

Koromaru barked in agreement and Fuuka filled his bowl with some grilled meat. "How about you, Koro-chan?" she asked the dog as he cheerfully ate. "Are you glad to get all this meat?" The albino animal cheerfully yipped.

Hamuko giggled as she ran her hand down the dog's back. "You deserve to eat well, too, boy!" She glanced up at her brother who was returning to his seat for another helping. The brunette smiled as she noticed he's never looked so relaxed before.

Noticing her gaze, Minato glanced up at her and gave his sister a smile. He turned his attention to the rest of SEES and was glad everyone was enjoying themselves. The celebratory mood and sense of accomplishment was great and he wished that the party would never have to end.

* * *

Junpei and the twins happily continued eating before the capped boy looked up from his plate at the rest of the team. The junior shook his head. "H-hey, how come nobody's eating? Don't tell me you're full already!"

"Are you kidding?" Yukari looked at the three juniors incredulously. "I'm stuffed."

"Me too…" Fuuka smiled at them. "I couldn't eat another bite."

Junpei turned towards the two seniors. "How 'bout you, Senpai…?"

Mitsuru didn't seem to feel well and Akihiko quickly shook his head. "We're good for now," the boxer told him.

"Alright then," Junpei frowned. He smiled as Koromaru happily panted at him. "Wanna try some, Koromaru?" The dog happily barked.

"Don't give the dog raw fish!" Yukari scolded the junior. "You'll make him sick!" Koromaru whimpered in response.

Junpei glanced up at the clock as Ikutsuki and Aigis still weren't back. "I wonder what's taking those two so long… It's almost midnight…" The minute hand finally struck midnight and everybody paused. A familiar sickly green light covered the room and the capped boy's eyes widened. "The hell…!?"

Ken turned towards the two coffins standing the center of the lounge. "The guys in suits… They've transmogrified…" Koromau angrily barked.

Minato suddenly lost his appetite and put his plate down. He looked over to his sister and noticed she looked like she was going to be sick. The two shared a concerned frown.

Junpei turned towards Mitsuru. "I thought we ended the Dark Hour! Senpai, what's going on…!?"

"I don't know…" the senior replied with a frown.

A grim expression appeared on Akihiko's face. "Apparently, I was right to have my doubts."

Ken nodded. "Yeah, something didn't feel right."

"No way…" Junpei pulled his cap down.

A bell chimed in the distance and Yukari turned towards the door. "Hey… Do you hear that? It sounds like a bell, but… where is it coming from?"

"Where's Ikutsuki?" Takeharu frowned, looking around. "Well!?" He clenched a fist as he demanded an explanation from the Chairman as to why any of this was happening. "Why is he late!? He's got Aigis with him, doesn't he!?"

Mitsuru didn't respond resulting in Akihiko staring at her in concern. "Mitsuru."

The girl noticed his gaze and quickly stood up. "Everyone…" she began. "Prepare for battle. We're heading for Tartarus."

"Um…" Fuuka frowned. "To do what?"

"I don't know…" the senior shook her head. "But, that's where the sound is coming from. We have to find out what's going on."

Everyone got up and started for the familiar tower in the distance. Hamuko tensed up as she stayed close to her brother. "Nii-san…"

"I know… I let my guard down too," Minato frowned.

* * *

The first to the scene, Akihiko called out to the man standing in the front of Tartarus. "Ikutsuki-san!" He paused as he noticed Aigis was standing at his side.

Yukari frowned. "Aigis? Why are you here…?"

The robot didn't respond so Ikutsuki answered the archer. "She is here merely to fulfill her role—as a weapon."

"Huh…?" Yukari didn't quite understand.

"Ikutsuki-san," Junpei glared at the man, "what's this all about!?"

Akihiko clenched his fists. "You said the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear if we defeated the 12 Shadows." He frowned. "That's why we fought so hard! But, now—" he faltered as he didn't know what to think.

Mitsuru shook her head. "What is your intention? It was all a lie, wasn't it? You knew from the beginning that the Dark Hour wouldn't disappear."

"Excellent deduction, Mitsuru," Ikutsuki smiled at her. "Unfortunately, your realization has come too late."

"No…" Yukari shook her head in disbelief.

"You tricked us!?" Ken asked.

"Everything is as I planned…" the man shrugged. "It is not unexpected that the Dark Hour and Tartarus remain. In fact, I never intended for you to rid the world of them. Quite the opposite, actually."

Fuuka frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ikutsuki smiled as he began to explain it to them. "The 12 Shadows were part of a whole… They were destined to be reunited." His smirk widened as he continued to stare at the children before him. "And that was accomplished in no small part, thanks to your efforts."

Minato tensed up as he realized his investigation had either been incomplete or contained faulty assumptions and information. "You manipulative bastard…"

"Soon, Death, the almighty, shall arise and bring forth the Fall…" Ikutsuki laughed.

"Death?" Ken frowned.

Akihiko shook his head. "What are you talking about!?"

"The end of all shall come and free this world from despair…" Ikutsuki extended his arms to the sky. "The death of everything… but also the beginning." He wore a madman's smile.

"Wh-what is he saying…?" Yukari couldn't help but shake. "Is he out of his mind…?"

"Ten years ago…" Ikutsuki looked down at them. "I, too, was a scientist for the project we've spoken of. The experiment went awry, but that is not why the Dark Hour and Tartarus were born." He proudly looked up at the tower behind him. "They manifested as a result of harvesting the Shadows' power—just as the experiment was designed to do. That is why your grandfather gathered so many Shadows…" he turned to Mitsuru. "To bring about The Fall."

"That can't be…" Mitsuru shook her head.

"People have filled the world," the man preached, "yet turned it into a void! The only hope of salvation lies in ruin! According to the prophecy…" Ikutsuki smiled. "The Fall will be orchestrated by 'the Prince'. And once the Prince has delivered us all, he shall rule the new world as King! The man who tried it ten years ago failed. But I will not; I shall succeed!"

"Man," Junpei shook his head, "he's totally lost it…"

"I apologize for deceiving you," Ikutsuki looked to the team and offered a hand to them, "but this was for your sake as well. If you follow me for just a little while longer, you, too, will find salvation."

"You call that salvation!?" Fuuka cried out.

Hamuko agreed with her. "What's going to happen!?" she demanded to know.

"You'll soon see for yourself…" Ikutsuki smirked at the brunette.

Yukari frowned to herself as she sensed everyone else's frustrations. Still, she took a step forward as she spoke to the man. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?" Ikutsuki looked at her.

"In the video from my father…" the archer clenched her fists. "He said to defeat the Shadows… Was that a lie, too?"

"Ah…" Ikutsuki thought back to their trip to Yakushima. "He did record that himself. Of course," he shrugged, "I had to make some modifications."

"You doctored it!?" Mitsuru glared at him.

"I corrected it," he tried to convincingly say to the redhead. "Your father was a superb scientist…" he smiled at Yukari. "He may not have known it, but I truly respected him. While others focused on the Shadows' abilities, he explored much more important things… But unfortunately," Ikutsuki lowered his head in disappointment, "he could not comprehend the magnificent potential of the Fall…"

"What…?" Yukari glared at the man.

"He left that recording at the expense of his life," Mitsuru told the man in disgust.

"It would seem so," Ikutsuki sighed. "But it did prove rather useful, so I'm sure he's happy," he smiled up at them.

"So you were behind it all!?" Yukari angrily accused him. "You used both me and my father!" She looked at the entire team and noticed they shared her sentiments. "You used all of us!"

Ikutsuki sighed and shook his head. "Used is such an ugly word… It was for the sake of the world, so how could it be wrong?"

"Our role is to correct the mistakes of the past…" Mitsuru began as he pulled out her Evoker. "And we intend to do just that."

Hamuko reached for her gun too. "I'm with you!" Everyone else around her quickly grabbed their Evokers.

The Chairman sighed and frowned at the children. "How disappointing. I had hoped you would see the light. But, you are just children, after all. I suppose it can't be helped." He turned to the robot patiently awaiting orders beside him. "Aigis! The time has come for you to fulfill your role. Capture them, and prepare them to be sacrificed!"

"Understood," the blonde girl nodded. "Energy output… at maximum."

"Aigis…?" Fuuka shook her head as she tried to reach the robot. "What's wrong? Aigis, please…!"

The robot didn't seem to hear her as she took aim on the entire team. "Engaging," she said as she jumped into the air.

"Aigis, no!" Hamuko cried out as Palladion appeared before them. Before anyone could fire their Evoker in retaliation, everything went black.

* * *

Takeharu was roughly pushed onto the observatory rooftop. "What is going on here!?" he demanded to know as he looked up at the children crucified before him.

Hamuko slowly stirred but she jerked awake when she noticed she was suspended in the air. She looked down at her body and noticed she was completely bound to a cross made from steel girders. The junior lifted her head and noticed everyone else was tied up in the exact same way. "Everyone!" she called out. "Are you alright?"

Junpei lifted his groggy head. "Ngh, mm…" His eyes widened as he began pulling on his restraints. "What the hell!?"

"Ngh…" Beside the capped boy, Yukari woke up. "What is this!?"

Fuuka gasped as she found herself stuck in place. She looked over to Minato as he was the only one still unconscious. "Minato-kun!"

"Fuuka…?" Minato frowned as he heard her calling out to him. "Hamuko?" His blue eyes flashed as he realized they were in danger. "Everyone!" He used whatever strength he could to free himself but let out a frustrated cry when nothing changed.

"Dammit…" Akihiko growled. "I can't get these off…!"

Mitsuru watched as Aigis roughly pushed Takeharu towards them. "Father!"

Takeharu glared at the glasses-wearing man smirking up at them. "Ikutsuki… What is the meaning of this!?"

"It is just as it appears," the man answered him. "They are to be sacrifices—harbingers of the Fall." He madly smiled. "The arrangements are complete; the prophecy shall be fulfilled."

"What!?" Akihiko fought harder against his restraints.

"You son of a bitch!" Junpei spat out. "I'm gonna rip your head off!"

"I'll burn you to Hell!" Minato's blue eyes blazed in hatred.

"My my," Ikutsuki snickered at the three teenage boys, "what a commotion…" He turned to his loyal weapon. "Aigis. Direct your aim at Mr. Kirijo."

"Affirmative," Aigis responded, aiming her gun at Takeharu.

"Father!" Mitsuru screamed.

"You traitor!" Takeharu glared at Ikutsuki. "Are you insane!?"

"Of course not," the man smiled back. "You know your father was an unlucky man. Even you, his son, after all this time, do not understand his vision."

"My father was wrong," the CEO shook his head. "Death as deliverance… That is not an ideology anyone should ever embrace!"

"Fool…!" Ikutsuki scowled at him. "You are but a nuisance now. Aigis! Go on ahead and give this man his honorable 'deliverance'!"

"Wait!" Mitsuru desperately called out to the robot. "Please, Aigis! Nooo!"

"Aigis!" Minato screamed too. "You can't do this!"

Hamuko joined him. "We won't let you become a murderer! Aigis! Listen to us!"

The robot heard their cries and glanced up to them. Ikutsuki noticed her falter and sternly frowned at the mechanical maiden. "What are you doing, Aigis!? You have your orders! Fulfill your purpose in life and fire!"

"He's wrong, Aigis!" Hamuko cried out. "Please! Don't do it!"

"Aigis!" Minato called out to the blonde girl.

The blonde's blue eyes widened as she tried to focus on the twins. "I… am…" She lowered her gun in confusion.

"Tch…" Ikutsuki shook his head as he pulled out a gun. "Fine, I'll do this myself." He let out a grunt as he pointed the weapon at Takeharu. "Ten years… I've wasted ten long years! I'm not like your father… I won't make any exceptions!" He took aim, but Takeharu used Aigis's hesitation to break free of her grip. The head of the Kirijo Group pulled a pistol out from his jacket and both men fired at each other. After a few seconds, Ikutsuki triumphantly laughed as Takeharu slumped to the floor. The gun he held dropped to the ground.

"Father…" Mitsuru's red eyes widened. "Father!" she screamed in shock as the man didn't respond.

"Urgh… Dammit…" Ikutsuki stopped laughing to raise a hand to his side and pressed against where Takeharu had shot him. "Aigis… we'll end this. Execute the sacrifices, now!"

"Hamuko!" Minato's eyes widened as Aigis turned towards his sister first. "No!" He frantically pulled at his restraints as panic filled him. "Aigis!" He hoarsely cried out and noticed the blonde lifted her weapon and took aim. "No! Stop!"

"Nii-san…!" Hamuko tried to put on a brave face for her brother.

Minato shook his head and screamed as he continued to struggle. "Hamuko!"

Behind the boy, Fuuka tried to call out to the robot. "Aigis!"

"Dammit," Junpei shouted. "Snap out of it!"

"Finish them, Aigis!" Ikutsuki roared.

"Aigis, don't!" Minato shook his head. "She's my twin sister!" He choked back a sob as he finally exhausted himself. "Hamuko!"

"Minato…san…" The robot frowned as she continued to stare at her target. "Hamuko-san…"

"Aigis…" Hamuko steadily looked into the android's eyes. "I believe in you, Aigis… You're still in there! I know it!" She didn't waver as she tried to call out to her friend. "Ai-chan!"

 _Hamuko-san…_ Aigis stared at her with wide eyes as she began shooting at the brunette.

"Hamuko!" Minato screamed. He flinched as the bonds holding up him shattered. He dropped on the ground and looked back to see Hamuko safely land on her feet. Letting out a shaky breath, he lifted his head towards the robot that freed them. "Aigis…?"

"Whoa…!" Akihiko carefully dropped to the ground and massaged his sore wrist. "What the…" He glanced at the robot in confusion.

"Aigis!" Yukari smiled as she was freed.

"Dammit, you…" Ikutsuki glared Aigis. "You defective machine!" He pulled out a remote from his jacket. "I'll do it myself!" A sudden growl caught him off guards as a white beast jumped up, snatching the remote from the man. Koromaru nimbly landed and snarled at Ikutsuki. "What the—waah!" The man fell to his knees, holding his blood-stained stomach.

"Koromaru!" Ken cried out with a smile as he took the remote from the dog.

Akihiko shook his head at the glasses-wearing man. "You're all alone now, and you're injured on top of that," he pointed out. "Looks like this is it, Mr. Chairman…"

Ikutsuki stared at the gun in his hand as he rose to his feet. Taking a few steps back, he maniacally laughed at the children standing before him. "You don't get it, do you?" the madman asked. "This useless, pathetic world will gradually fester over time! It's useless to search for hope or reasons to live in this pathetic world! A world this depraved must be started over from the beginning! Only its destruction can bring about its salvation!" He lifted the gun and pointed it randomly at the team. Just the sight of them tensing up made him laugh. "Heh, and then, at long last… I will rule over the new world!" A sharp pain in his abdomen made him wince. "I…" Ikutsuki frowned as he sensed his body could no longer continue on. The man took a few steps back. "I was so close…" He let out a broken laugh as he tried to grasp for the moon. The skies echoed with his laughter as the man fell off the observatory roof.

"Ikutsuki!" Minato ran towards him and tried to grab him, but he was too late. He stared at his empty hand as his fingers had barely brushed against the man's jacket. _The answers were all within my reach too…_ His hand balled into a fist. "Damn it!"

Yukari lowered her gaze to the floor and frowned. "How did it come to this…?" she asked no one in particular.

Fuuka looked up towards the edge where the Chairman fell from. "Ikutsuki-san…" she frowned as she couldn't believe what had just happened. A soft sob caused her to look up at the official leader of SEES, kneeling over Takeharu's limp form. "Mitsuru-senpai…"

Mitsuru gently shook her father's body. "Father…" she said as tears began streaming down her face. "Father…" The man didn't respond so Akihiko took his place beside the Student Council President. The boxer gave her a comforting hug as she sobbed. Everyone turned towards the grieving girl and watched as she tried to pull herself together. "One time, my father made a promise. He swore that he would atone for endangering our generation, even if it cost him his life… But, I…" The usually strong young woman faltered. "I wanted him to live… I… I became a Persona-user to protect him."

Everyone remained silent as Mitsuru continued to cry. There was nothing they could do for the lamenting successor of the Kirijo Group. Lost and confused, they remained on the top of the observatory as Tartarus towered over them, mocking them with its presence.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I had been stuck at this chapter for a while because I was deciding whether Minato and Hamuko should have been more important. But if I had gone that route, Minato would have been shot... as well as badly beaten up by Aigis... And then I was gonna have Hamuko and him get into a huge argument on what to do next, but it didn't sit well with me since there was no way I could set them to be angry with each other, especially since I was going to have Hamuko not want to fight. Hamuko would never turn her back on her brother, much more her friends... Also... shooting Minato undermines Mitsuru losing her father.


	40. Life Goes On

**Author's Notes:** So I'm nearly finished with the rest of the story, just working on the ending. And then I need to hurry up and finish my Journey in FES so I can start on the Answer. I don't know if I'm going to type up my own version of Answer considering I have an idea of what I want to do, but I don't know if it's going to be executed well considering I'm not familiar with it at all. I at least want to play through all of the Answer before making my final decision, but with November coming up, I'll probably be distracted by Pokemon Moon so it'll take a while. Same thing goes for Persona 4, since I've played through the PS2 version but I haven't even touched Golden. And Q is another mess altogether since I'd have to combine both the P3 and P4 scripts... Ahaha... I might be getting ahead of myself though so these are merely possibilities for now...

* * *

~5 NOVEMBER 2009~

Fuuka looked around the meeting room and frowned when Aigis and Mitsuru weren't present. She stared at the opened door leading to Ikutsuki's office. "The Chairman's room has been cleared out…" she mused as she took a seat beside Minato.

"Well," Akihiko crossed his arms, "that's no surprise, considering what he did."

"Aigis isn't here either…" Hamuko worriedly frowned.

"She's undergoing maintenance," Minato stated with a shrug. "It makes sense after that stunt she pulled—"

"It wasn't her fault," the brunette glared at him. "She saved us in the end, didn't she?"

Her brother blinked at her in mild surprise before putting on an apologetic frown. "She did…"

"She's still an important member of this team," Hamuko sternly reminded him. "That said," she looked over the rest of the team, "it's times like these we need to stick together. So, let's go over the situation again."

Yukari sighed as they didn't really know where to begin. "I just can't believe all this…"

"It's in the papers, too…" Ken frowned, putting down the current periodical. "They titled it 'Sudden Death of Kirijo Group's CEO'. They blame it on illness, though." He clenched his fists as once again the public would never know what had truly transpired.

"Yeah…" Akihiko lowered his gaze. "It's never the truth."

"Nope," the elementary school student said.

"Mitsuru-senpai's not here, huh…?" Junpei pulled his cap down.

Akihiko sighed. "She's an only child, so there's a lot of matters to be settled, including the funeral and the family business. I'm sure she'll be busy for at least a week."

"That sounds rough…" Yukari frowned. "I hope she'll be okay…"

"So," Junpei looked towards the only senior in the room, "what're we supposed to do now…?" He frowned as he thought of his regular hospital visits. "What'll happen to Chidori?"

"No word yet," Akihiko shook his head. "They're probably too busy to be thinking about that. In fact, the entire Kirijo Group must be in a state of shock."

"I hope Aigis is alright…" Fuuka frowned.

"Yeah…" the boxer nodded.

"What the hell…?" Junpei shook his head. "Am I just supposed to wait for them to get their act together?"

"Mitsuru is meeting with the Board of Directors," the senior explained. "That might explain the delay."

"I see…" Yukari nodded. "But still, what are we going to do? We have no idea how to get rid of the Dark Hour… We don't even know what we're fighting against."

Ken crossed his arms. "What was that he said about 'the Fall'? What would've happened if we had been sacrificed?" He looked towards Minato, hoping he could figure something out.

The blue-haired boy looked up from one of the former Chairman's folders he was skimming through as he felt everyone's expectant stares. "It'll take a while, but no worries. I'm on it…" He frowned though as none of the research made any sense.

Fuuka noticed her boyfriend's uncertain expression. "There are so many unanswered questions," she sighed.

"Let's take our time," Hamuko spoke up. Her brother looked up at her and noticed she was giving him an encouraging smile. "That's all we can do for now."

"True," Akihiko smiled. He sternly looked over the team and nodded. "But, there is one thing we know… Tartarus is still around, and there's a bunch of Shadows inside it. We should train, so we're ready for whatever it is we might have to face."

"I agree," Ken said with a determined smile. Koromaru barked too.

"All right," Akihiko said, standing up. "Let's break for tonight. Rest yourselves well… even if you can't sleep."

"Got it…" Yukari nodded.

"I hear ya…" Junpei pulled his cap down as he followed the senior out. Ken and Koromaru were the next ones out the door.

Yukari looked over to the twins and frowned. "So what now?"

"Back to work as usual," Minato sighed as he stared at the massive amount of files he would have to sort through. "Hamuko, a hand?"

The brunette smirked at him as she grabbed a few binders. "Wow… All of this on top of the new block in Tartarus? You sure have your hands full, don't you, nii-san?"

"Are you kidding me?" her brother frowned. "You're helping me go through all this crap." He stifled a yawn. "Huh… some coffee sounds great right now."

Yukari smirked at them as they headed downstairs. "Well, good luck then."

The archer was about to follow them, but Fuuka called out to her. "Yukari-chan…"

"Hm?" Yukari turned towards the navigator. Fuuka handed her something. "What's this? A disc…?"

"Um…" Fuuka sheepishly smiled. "There were traces of a video on the Chairman's hard drive… Most of it was deleted, but I was able to restore some of it. I thought you might like to see it."

"Thanks, Fuuka…" Yukari smiled at her. "I'll watch it later."

"Uh-huh," the teal-haired junior nodded. "Make sure that you do!"

Yukari paused as she noticed the usually quiet girl's tone was uncharacteristically urgent. "O-okay, sure."

* * *

Before stopping by Café Chagall, Minato dragged Hamuko along with him into Escapade for another fortune telling. The brunette blinked at him and sighed. "Nii-san, do you really have time for this?"

"I just need to check something," the older twin stated with a nod. "Who knows? This might just help somehow."

"Welcome back," the Den Mother smiled at him, "masters of light and shadow."

"Masters?" Minato smirked. "Not bearers?"

"It seems as though a change has occurred within you," the woman told him. "Would you like to hear your fortune?"

"Yes, please," the boy bowed his head.

"Very well…" the woman nodded as smoke shrouded the ball. "Under the fat crescent moon… A feeble light at the hollow tower…" The twins saw the observatory. "A gunshot rings out, shattering my vision into a thousand pieces…" The entire image cracked like a broken mirror and the Den Mother frowned. "I am sorry… I can see no further… But I can say this…" The woman looked up at the siblings. "The shadow yet remains…"

Hamuko knit her eyebrows together as she saw the silhouette of a boy standing in the darkness in the orb. At first she mistook it for her brother before the boy slightly turned his head towards her, his long trailing scarf fluttering in the wind. The orb soon cleared and the girl blinked at what she saw. "The shadow yet remains?"

"How interesting…" Minato muttered. He bowed to the fortune teller and smiled. "Thank you for your time."

"Farewell, then…" the woman smiled at them. "May your future be bright…"

Hamuko followed her brother out of the nightclub and frowned at him. "Nii-san… What does she mean by 'the shadow yet remains'? Is there another Shadow we need to face?"

"Probably," her brother shrugged. "I had suspicions of a thirteenth Shadow…" He remembered what Ikutsuki had said about the Fall. "Death the almighty…"

The brunette blinked at that. "Do you think something is going to happen?" She looked up at the mall's skylight and glanced at the waning moon. "The next full moon… Another operation?"

"Who knows?" Minato frowned. "But Akihiko-san is right. We have to keep fighting." He knit his eyebrows together as he felt Thanatos stir within their shared sea of souls. _What I don't understand is that Death is supposed to form from the combination of those twelve Shadows. We defeated them so why…?_ He opened the door into the café for his sister and frowned. _And our memories… They still haven't returned. Just what is going on here?_

* * *

As soon as Yukari returned to her room, she blankly stared at her posters. _Mitsuru-senpai…_ She frowned as she could relate to what the older girl was going through. _It's just like when Dad died…_ The archer absently stared at the disk Fuuka had given to her. Curious, the brunette pulled out her laptop and put the disc in. "So it's just a normal DVD?" She watched as the computer loaded the contents. "All right, let's see what's on here…" A video player popped up. "Oh, there we go."

The video began playing and people screamed in the background. Yukari's eyes widened as her father appeared on the screen. "I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…" the man said with a frown.

"That video!?" Yukari quickly sat up.

"My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea," Eiichiro shook his head. "This experiment should have never even been conceived… That's why I had to interrupt it. However, in doing so, I set free a number of Shadows that are certain to torment future generations." A pained expression appeared on his face, but he continued. "But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price… Please, listen carefully…" He seriously looked into the camera. "I cannot stress this enough… You must not hunt the Shadows that have dispersed!"

"Huh…?" Yukari knit her eyebrows together. "This part's…"

"I wasn't able to stop this madness…" Eiichiro shook his head. "He won't listen, no matter what I say… He's under the devil's spell… Now, the Shadows are trying to eat one another… But if they're reunited, then we are all doomed! I'll say this once more… Leave the Shadows be!"

"This is the original video…" Yukari pieced together, "before Ikutsuki changed it. Dad tried to stop the experiment…"

"There's not much hope for me now," the scientist sadly said. "I have just one favor to ask… Whoever finds this… Please… Give my daughter Yukari this message… I know I promised I'd be home soon… and I'm sorry to break that promise… but, I want you to know…" He put on the biggest smile he could. "Daddy was the happiest man on earth when he was with you."

"Dad…" Yukari could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"I love you, Yukari," Eiichiro said with a nod. "Please take care of yourself…" An explosion sounded as the video suddenly cut off.

"Dad!?" Yukari grabbed the screen. "Daddy!" The brunette fell over her laptop and began sobbing. "I know one thing for sure now… I was right to believe in him." She eventually managed to stop her tears and lifted her head. "Are you listening, Dad? I'm doing okay. It took a while, but I finally got your message." She closed her eyes as Io emerged before her, turning into a new Persona.

 _"Thou art I, and I am thou,"_ the new Persona introduced itself to her. _"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Isis, mother of Egypt."_ Isis returned into the archer. _"Whenever you have doubt, please know that I will forever be at your side."_

Yukari nodded as she smiled at Isis within her. "I'll fight for what I believe in… That's what you would have wanted… Right, Dad?"

* * *

Hamuko's opened her eyes and noticed she was in the Velvet Room. She immediately looked to her right and spotted her brother sleeping in his seat. "Nii-san?" she called out.

Minato stirred slightly and blinked when he realized he wasn't in his room. "Huh? The Velvet Room again?" He straightened up as Igor appeared before them.

The long-nosed man gave them both a reassuring smile. "Welcome," he greeted his guests. "As I'm sure you are aware, you are currently in a dream." The twins looked at each other and relaxed. "Now, then… There has been a change in you recently. Have you noticed?"

"A change?" Hamuko repeated in confusion.

Igor chuckled at them. "I am not referring to your change in circumstances. I am referring to the change in your mentalities. That is why I have summoned you here tonight. Going forward, there is one thing you mustn't forget." He swiped his hand over the table and two folders appeared. With another wave of his hand, it opened, revealing their signatures of their original contracts. Minato calmly stared at it before focusing his gaze on the Velvet Room resident. "I see you recognize it…" Igor stated in satisfaction. "Shall I remind you of your commitments? 'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will'. There is no need to worry… Whichever path you choose, I shall respect your decisions. However, only you will bear the responsibility for your actions… no matter what end they may bring about. Please remember that."

Hamuko and Minato exchanged nods before speaking at once. "We understand."

Satisfied with their answer, Igor waved his hand again, causing their contracts to disappear. "Well then, I bid you farewell."

* * *

~6 NOVEMBER 2009~

Junpei wore a smirk as he let himself into the hospital room. "Yo, Chidori." He slightly faltered when the redhead didn't look up as she usually did whenever he came in. _Crap… Is she upset that it's been a while since my last visit?_ "Sorry 'bout not being able to come lately…" he lowered his head. "A lot's been going on lately." Chidori didn't respond, but she did stop drawing. "Hey, what's wrong?" Junpei stood at her side. "So, you heard about Takaya and Jin, huh?" he frowned as he noticed the scribbled out doodles of Strega on various napkins strewn over the untouched food. "I was planning on telling you… They were your friends, after all." Chidori shook her head at him. "What, that's not it?"

"I'm scared," Chidori said, placing her hands on her chest. "It hurts. Junpei…" she looked up at the capped boy. "What will you be doing in two years…?"

"Two years?" Junpei tilted his head to the side. "I dunno. I really haven't thought about it… Why do you ask?" He stared at her for a while before noticing her arms weren't covered in bandages today. "Hey, um… I noticed you stopped…" He lowered his gaze. "Y'know, hurting yourself."

"Oh…" Chidori looked down at her hands. "I guess…"

The boy quickly took her hand into his. "That's good. I mean, you have such beautiful hands…" he said with a soft smile.

The girl's eyes widened as she quickly pulled her hand away. "Don't touch me!"

"Oh, sorry," Junpei was a bit surprised by her reaction but he respected her wishes so kept his hands to himself. "I didn't mean to…"

"This is too painful," Chidori told him, turning her head away from him. "It used to be fun when you came to visit…" Her fingers curled as she stared at them. "But… it's different now."

"Huh!?" The junior didn't understand.

"It hurts inside…" The girl began gasping for air. "I can't breathe… I…" She shook her head before screaming. "I can't take this anymore!"

"Wh-whaddya mean!?" Junpei asked. "I don't understand!" He desperately tried to get her to talk to him. "Did I do something wrong? Tell me what it is!"

"Junpei…" Chidori refused to look at him. "Don't come here anymore!"

"But…" the capped boy felt his heart shatter. "Chidori…"

"Just go!" The girl shouted.

The tall junior backed away from her and hung his head. He still didn't budge but he was forced to when he saw Chidori reaching for the 'call' button for a nurse. "Chidori… Why…?" He left the room and closed the door behind him. Not wanting anyone to see his expression, the boy tugged his cap down over his eyes to cover his face. _Chidori, is something wrong?_

* * *

"Hey, Junpei," Minato noticed the junior sitting on the second floor by himself as he was returning to his room. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh?" The capped boy looked over towards the blue-haired boy. "Yeah… I'm fine…"

"You don't sound fine," Minato frowned at him. He looked around and decided to approach the taller junior. "Anything I can do to help?"

"N-nah, it's nothing," Junpei shook his head as he blankly stared at his half-empty can of Cielo Mist.

The SEES leader crossed his arms as he studied Junpei's demeanor. _Let's see… Junpei was okay in class. After school, he…_ The boy's blue eyes widened as he went out on a limb and guessed what was bothering his friend. "Girl problems?" Minato asked.

The boy looked up at him in surprise. "W-what? H-how did you…?" He wryly smirked to himself as he should have known better than to hide things from the junior investigator. "Yeah…" Junpei nodded. "I went to visit Chidori at the hospital today but she said she didn't want to see me anymore."

"Did she give a reason why?" Minato asked as he put in a few coins into the vending machine.

"Not really…" Junpei shook his head. "She said that me being there was too painful for her or something."

Minato blinked at that and frowned. "She said that?" He took a seat and drank from the can of Mad Bull.

Junpei pulled down his cap. "Did I hurt her or something?" He groaned as he tried to think back to his previous visits. "I don't remember doing anything wrong…"

"Hmm…" The blue-haired boy remembered the Reaper constantly standing at her side. The thin swordsman lowered his gaze. "She must be afraid…"

"What do you mean?" Junpei looked towards him.

"Try to consider what Chidori's feeling, Junpei. She's not like us… She's the same as Strega."

"Dude! She's not—"

"Junpei," the serious leader kept his gaze steady. "I don't mean that she's like Takaya and Jin. I'm only saying that her power is different from ours. It's not stable…" Minato sadly frowned. "She's afraid, but not for herself. It's for you, Junpei."

"W-what?" Junpei frowned down at himself. "For me?"

Minato nodded as a hand went up to fiddle with his special headphones. "I understand what you're feeling, Junpei, because I have someone really important to me too." The leader studied the special engravings Fuuka etched into the metal casing. "But I also get where Chidori is coming from… It's hard for people like us to get close to others because we never know when we might get hurt. That's why it's hard for her to be with you right now. It's easier to push others away and hurt ourselves than to risk the pain others might give us."

The other boy's grey eyes widened as what his friend said made sense. Still, it only made him even more concerned about the hospitalized girl. "Chidori…"

The SEES leader studied the Magician's expression carefully before standing up. "You both look like you need some time," Minato stated with a sigh. "Personally, I don't think you should give up on her." The boy finished his drink and tossed the can into the recycling bin. "She's important to you after all."

"What if I'm afraid too?" Junpei asked. "It's easy for you considering you already have a girlfriend."

"That doesn't stop me from being terrified for her," Minato admitted as he put on his headphones. "Even so, I want to be brave. For her sake…" He smirked to himself as he returned to his room.

Junpei stared down the empty hallway and sighed. "Dude… I'm not like you…" He shook his head as he was having negative thoughts again.

"Junpei…" a voice from the stairwell made him jump.

"W-what?" The capped boy turned and noticed his best friend was frowning at him. "Oh… Hey, Hamuko."

"Guy talk with Minato?" she smirked.

"How much of that were you listening in on?" Junpei asked.

"Enough…" the brunette smiled as she stared at the door leading to Shinjiro's old bedroom. "He might be a complete dunce when it comes to relationships, but he's right, you know…"

"Oh, yeah?" the capped boy frowned. "You have anything to add?"

Hamuko paused for a moment to find the right words to say before smiling at her best friend. "I believe in you, Junpei! So don't give up!"

Junpei chuckled at that. "Thanks…"

* * *

~9 NOVEMBER 2009~

"So how's your relationship with Fuuka-chan going?" Hamuko asked her brother as they walked to school together.

"Where did that come from?" Minato asked her back.

"I'm curious," the brunette shrugged. "I heard you talking to Junpei a few nights ago… I didn't expect for you to actually support him, nii-san."

"To be honest with you," Minato frowned, "I didn't think I would either…" He stared at the street ahead of them and focused on the school's gate. "Chidori has a Reaper. It's the same as the one on Shinji-nii and the rest of Strega."

"From their suppression pills, right?" Hamuko sadly frowned as her brother nodded. "Do you really think you should be encouraging him then?"

"That's a hard question, Hamuko," the blue-haired boy sighed. "We can't stop the inevitable, but it wouldn't feel right for me to crush his spirit, especially when I completely get how he feels…" Minato looked down at his headphones. "If I had decided to leave SEES and still ended up falling in love with Fuuka… the two of you would have still gone after me, right?"

"Of course," the brunette smiled at him. "You're important to us after all." She looked down at her wristwatch. "I guess you did the right thing then."

Minato stared at her as she studied the pattern on the clock's face. "Do you miss him?"

"So much…" Hamuko's voice was quiet.

"I do too…" her brother sighed. "If there's anything I can do, just let me know. I feel guilty spending so much time with Fuuka when I know you might need me. And I owe it to you for pushing me in pursuing her. I'm your older brother and it's my job to keep you happy."

"Nii-san, you don't have to worry so much about me," the younger twin shook her head. "I want you to be happy too. I'm glad you have Fuuka-chan and it's not a matter of you picking her over me. I know you, Minato." She tried her best to give her brother her brightest smile. "Even though it hurts sometimes, Shinji-kun would want me to move on." Her grin slightly faltered when she realized it was a lot easier said than done. "He never said I couldn't take my time though so I intend to cherish his memory for as long as I can."

"And you complain that I'm dramatic," Minato rolled his eyes.

"You are!" Hamuko pouted. She paused as they finally reached the school gate. The atmosphere on the campus seemed different somehow. "Is something going on?"

The blue-haired boy looked around and frowned. "All of the girls seemed worked up over something," he pointed out as he could feel a headache coming on.

A girl they passed perked up as she spoke with her friend. "Hey, good news! Wanna hear it?" Her eyes glowed in excitement. "I know you do! I heard the boy who's transferring here today is a stud!"

"Really?" her friend looked at her dubiously. "Are you just messing with me?"

"No! I heard it from someone who saw him filling out the forms."

"Which class!?"

"11th grade, Classroom F."

"Oh…" the girl frowned as they pair were both seniors. "Well, that's disappointing. But I'll go check him out later!"

"Another transfer?" Minato tilted his head to the side. "And so late into the year too…"

"So we'll be getting a new classmate then," Hamuko shrugged. "I wonder what he's like…"

"Don't tell me you're going to go after him too," her brother blinked at her.

"No, I'm just curious," the brunette put her hands at her hips. "I'm still in mourning, remember?" she lightly joked. After a while she groaned. "Great… I'm picking up your dreadful sense of humor."

Minato chuckled. "That was pretty good actually…" He continued to laugh as Hamuko lightly punched his arm.

As they reached their homeroom, Hamuko noticed the girls lining up by the classroom door to get a glimpse at the mysterious transfer student. She tried to squeeze her way past them but failed. Beside her, she sensed her brother's growing irritation.

"Hey, clear the doorway!" he sternly called out. "This is a fire hazard!" The crowd of girls tensed up as a path suddenly opened up for the twins. "Honestly, it's not fun having to write up so many citations so early in the day," Minato grumbled.

"Ah, knock it off, Hellhound," a girl frowned at him. "We want a glimpse of the hot new transfer joining our class." She smirked at the blue-haired boy. "Now that I think about it, you were a transfer too, right?" The Hellhound gave the girl a deadpan stare and she shook her head at him. "You know, you could have been popular too thanks to your looks, but your personality is kind of a bummer."

"Does it look like I care?" Minato frowned. He fondly played with his headphones as he smirked to himself. "You're all so noisy anyways…"

Their classmate gave Hamuko a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry you're related to him, Hamuko-san."

Hamuko frowned at her as she defended her brother. "Nii-san's fine just the way he is." She smiled up at Minato who was staring at her in mild surprise. "If we weren't twins, I'd definitely go out with him," she teased as she pulled on his cheek.

"H-hamuko!" Minato pulled himself away from his sister as his face turned completely red. "Don't make jokes like that!" He sighed as the brunette continued to laugh at his expense. He smiled though when he noticed it managed to cheer her up, even if just a little.

Toriumi sighed before rounding everyone up. "Alright, everyone, settle down!" She glanced at the clock as the bell rang, signaling the start of class. The woman waited for everyone to take their seats before holding up a new file. "Today we have yet another transfer student. As you all know, this is the 3rd time this year. That makes it a hat trick." Minato smirked at that but the rest of the class groaned. Toriumi shook her head at her students before continuing. "Please introduce yourself," she called out to the young man coming into the room.

Hamuko cast her eyes towards the new student but paused when she noticed how blue his eyes were. The boy locked eyes with her, resulting in him putting on a small smile. The red-eyed girl quickly broke eye contact as her heart rapidly began to beat. _Those eyes… I've seen them somewhere before…_

The boy slowly sauntered to the front of the class, his long yellow scarf trailing behind him. He tilted his head to the side as he introduced himself to them. "My name is Ryoji Mochizuki," he smiled. "I would be grateful if you could show me the ropes." He scanned the classroom before focusing on Minato and Hamuko.

A girl near the back of the class giggled. "Hey, he's kinda cute," she whispered.

Her friend smiled. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Not so loud…" the first girl shushed her.

Ryoji's smirk grew as he never took his eyes off Hamuko. "Nice to meet you," he said, giving the class a short bow. Hamuko frowned as it seemed that he was mainly directing that towards her.

Minato noticed too and glanced at his sister sitting behind him. _Do you know him?_ He seemed to ask. He frowned at her in the way only an overprotective brother could. _I think he's interested in you…_

Hamuko blushed. _So I admit he is a bit cute…_ She blinked a few times before casting her brother a stern glare. _Hey! Don't take me for some generic schoolgirl!_

 _I'm just looking out for you!_ Her brother glared back. He paused though as he decided he was jumping to conclusions. Minato focused his attention back on the files Toriumi had about the new boy.

"Ryoji lived overseas for a long time because of his parents' work, so he may not be used to all of our customs," the adult told the class. "Be sure to explain them to him."

Ryoji nodded in thanks. "I'd be grateful."

"Now then," she looked at the various desks, "you need a seat. Let's see…" She spotted the empty desk next to Minato. "That one's open. Second from the left, in the front."

Yukari raised her hand. "Um… Ms. Toriumi? Technically, that seat's taken…"

"You must be present to be a member of this class," the teacher shook her head, "so as far as I'm concerned, that seat is available. Life is nothing but a game of musical chairs. The rest of you should be careful, too."

Ryoji inwardly chuckled at his interesting new teacher as he approached his assigned seat. He smiled at Hamuko, who was to be sitting directly behind him. Next to the brunette, Aigis glared at him. Ryoji paused and noticed her hostile gaze. "Good morning," he greeted her with a nod. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…"

Aigis tensed up. "You are dangerous."

Minato and Hamuko turned towards the disguised robot in surprise. Minato tilted his head to the side in confusion. He studied Ryoji for a bit before frowning. _Well… I can't even see Reapers anymore… but he seems completely normal to me. His eyes are a bit familiar though…_

Ryoji also tilted his head to the side as he frowned at Aigis. "Dangerous? I haven't even asked you out on a date yet…"

 _Oh, wow… he's a huge flirt,_ Hamuko thought with a smirk. _Nii-san will definitely not like him…_

"A date…?" Aigis looked at the new student in confusion.

Behind the robot, Yukari leaned forward. "Aigis, what's wrong with you?"

Ryoji shook his head as he cheerfully laughed. "Rejected from the start. You're an interesting girl…"

Yukari sighed as the new student was just as simple-minded as someone else she knew. _That's just great… Another Junpei to deal with._

Beside her, the capped boy frowned as he noticed the archer staring at him. "W-what?"

"Nothing…"

Toriumi gave Aigis a sympathetic nod. "Your teacher understands, Aigis… You haven't had very long to be the 'new student', and already you have to share the spotlight." The woman sighed as she returned to the podium. "I wish your classmates would pay attention to me for a change…" She snapped at the back half of the class as they began chattering about Ryoji. "Hey, are any of you even listening?"

Hamuko stared at the back of Ryoji's head before frowning to herself. _That's strange… From behind, he looks a bit like nii-san._ She looked over towards her brother and blinked at how similar they appeared. The red-eyed girl paused as she remembered his blue eyes looking straight into her soul.

* * *

"Heeeey, Hamuko!" Junpei waved both his arms in the air to catch her attention. "C'mere, over here!"

Hamuko noticed her best friend was standing with Ryoji at the back of the classroom. "What's the matter?" she asked them.

"You know the new transfer student, right?" Junpei pointed at Ryoji. "Has he been introduced to you yet?" She shook her head and the capped boy nodded to the black-haired boy. "Anyways, this is Hamuko."

"Hello," Ryoji slightly bowed to her.

"She transferred here earlier this year with her brother Minato," Junpei explained. "You know, the guy you sit next to?"

"Oh… I see." Ryoji tilted his head to the side as the twins looked nothing alike. "I'm Ryoji Mochizuki. Nice to meet you." He gave her a small smile.

"Nice to meet you, too," Hamuko smiled back. She made the mistake of looking into his blue eyes and became entranced by them. _He has the same eyes as nii-san…_ She found that she couldn't look away as the boy stared back at her. _This is the first time we've met… but why is it that he feels so familiar?_

Junpei noticed his new friend was quiet. "Hey, what's wrong?" He waved his hand in front of Ryoji's face. "What're you gaping at?"

"Huh?" Ryoji blinked.

Hamuko shook herself out of her daze too. "Um… Is something wrong?" she asked him.

"Oh, um…" The new boy shook his head. "I just got the strangest feeling when I looked at Hamuko-chan…" He lowered his gaze as his eyes filled with sadness, longing, and confusion. "It's like… I don't know… nostalgia?" He glanced back towards Hamuko. "Have we met before?"

"Huh?" Hamuko blinked at him in surprise. _So he thinks so too?_

Junpei laughed. "Wow, that's one of the oldest pickup lines in the book!"

"Th-that's not how I meant it…" Ryoji said with a frown.

Hamuko quickly shook her head. "N-no… don't worry about it. I… was thinking the same thing. It's weird though. I don't _think_ we've met before," she said with a frown of her own. "Ryoji Mochizuki, right?"

"That's right, but please call me Ryoji-kun, Hamuko-chan," Ryoji boldly told her. He offered out his hand to the brunette. "Anyway, I hope we'll get along."

Hamuko took it and paused as the Fortune Arcana flashed in mind. "Me too."

Both teens smiled at each other as Ryoji nodded his head at her. "I get the feeling that we'll become good friends," he continued. "I'm looking forward to chatting with you more."

Aigis suddenly appeared and pulled Hamuko away from the boy. "You are a threat!" the robot frowned at the transfer student.

"Ai-chan!?" Hamuko stared at the android in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Ryoji-san," the blonde ignored the co-leader as she stood between them, "Please stay away from Hamuko-san!"

Ryoji tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Oh, um, Aigis-san," he smiled as he took a step towards the blonde girl. "Would it be all right if I stood closer to you, then?"

"Absolutely not!" the robot glared at him.

"Yikes…" Junpei backed away from them. "What's all this about…?"

Hamuko sighed as she didn't really get it either.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Ryoji smoothly took the girl's hand and bowed. "You're very much like a beautiful delicate flower… Might we go out for dinner sometime?" he asked her.

The blushing girl quickly pulled her hand back before he could press it against his lips. "S-sorry, but… Who are you?"

"Oh, that's right!" Ryoji stood up. "How rude of me! I'm Ryoji Mochizuki from Class 2-F. And you are?"

"Fuuka!" Minato finally came out of his classroom and called out towards her. "Sorry to make you wait…" he paused as he noticed Ryoji present. "Hm?"

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka looked at her boyfriend in worry as both boys stared at each other silently. "U-um…" She looked between the two before suddenly slapping Ryoji.

"Fuuka?" Minato blinked at her. "Why did you…?"

Ryoji laughed it off. "Ah… I see… My apologies, Fuuka-san. I didn't know you already had a boyfriend."

"Huh!?" The blue-haired boy stared at him.

"Such a cute girl too," the transfer student sighed. He quickly cheered himself up though as he smiled to his friend. "Oh well. There's always next time."

A first year student walked past them and waved towards Minato. "Hello, Senpai."

Minato nodded to her in acknowledgement. "Chihiro…"

"Ah! Another cute one!" Ryoji quickly approached the younger girl and took her hand. "Hello," he said with a charming smile. "I'm Ryoji of Class 2-F. A beautiful angel such as yourself deserves to be treated to dinner…"

Chihiro let out a squeak before slapping the boy. "O-oh, um… I-I'm sorry!" she cried before running away.

Minato shook his head and sighed. "Why do I feel that you're going to be problematic to be around?"

Ryoji rubbed his cheek and cheerfully laughed as he dismissed his classmate's words. "My, this school is filled with so many pretty girls…" He noticed Yukari leaving the classroom and started towards the brunette.

"He didn't give you any trouble, did he?" Minato asked Fuuka in concern.

"No… but… when I saw you, I felt the urge to slap him…" They watched as Yukari shot his advances down and slapped the boy across the face. Fuuka wore a nervous smile. "You don't have to worry though, Minato-kun! You're the only one I could ever go out with," she reassured him.

"Hrm," the blue-haired boy smiled as he leaned his face forward so that their foreheads were touching. "I wasn't worried." He wore a smirk as his eyes glowed mischievously. "You're my precious little wind flower after all…"

"Eep!" Fuuka suddenly slapped him.

The boy put a hand on where she had hit him. "Sorry… I was being too aggressive, wasn't I?"

"N-no… it's not that…" The girl placed a hand on his face and soothingly rubbed his red cheek. "I didn't mind what you said, but we're at school, Minato-kun…" she blushed at him.

The blue-haired junior quickly straightened up. "Right… Um…" He quickly grabbed her hand. "Let's just get going Photography Club… Afterwards, as an apology, we can grab dinner together."

"I'm okay with it being a date, Minato-kun…" Fuuka giggled at him. Her smile only grew as she noticed his ears turning red too.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** And the game becomes fun again with Ryoji being introduced. So in line with my original plans, I was gonna have Hamuko pissed off at Minato, Aigis, and by extension the team, and Ryoji would have been the one to help repair their relationship. I like the way I actually did it better. It's finally time for me to not focus on Minato as much! So expect a lot of Hamuko and Ryoji shenanigans. Of course, that also means grief for both Minato and Aigis, but oh well!


	41. Flirting with Fate

**Author's Notes:** Okay, changing my upload schedule to every other day from now until the last three chapters. This times out well because that means I'll be able to have this completely up on my birthday... Alright! Here's some more Ryoji!

* * *

~12 NOVEMBER 2009~

Hamuko put on her headphones as she arrived at the station alone. She smirked as she looked forward to the lunch her brother was making for her that day. _Nii-san should know better than to be breaking dorm regulations on a school night,_ she giggled to herself. _Fuuka-chan keeps spoiling him, but they do seem happy._ The brunette frowned to herself as she turned on her music player.

 _"Time~ Old dry winds go by~ Lone air comes quietly~"_ Hamuko hummed along to the song as she waited for the next monorail. _"Time~ Old dry winds go by~ Uncertain space you need to fill in~"_ She quickly boarded the closest car and found a seat. _"Every time goodbye to yesterday~ Greeted by today~ Smiling to tomorrow~ No one really belongs~ Each time we hope to stay around~"_

"I know how you feel~" a voice softly sang as a boy wearing suspenders stood in front of her. "Beyond your words~" Ryoji smiled at her as she took off her headphones. "Hamuko-chan?"

"Ryoji-kun…" Hamuko stared up at him in surprise.

"G'morning!"

The girl looked around the shuttle but didn't see any other students. The two of them were rather early. "What a coincidence," she absently said out loud.

The boy chuckled at her. "Some people might call it 'destiny'." He pointed out the window behind her. "Look… The sun's shining off the ocean beautifully. This view really lifts my spirits…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Hamuko smiled as Minato sometimes did the same thing whenever they walked to school together. "I think I understand."

"Huh? Really?" Ryoji cast his blue eyes over her and softly smiled. He chuckled to himself. "I'm glad to hear that. I thought that the world was being especially dazzling today… Could that be because you're here with me?" He laughed pleasantly and Hamuko found that it sounded very pure, like that of a child's. Ryoji suddenly stopped as the monorail slowed to a halt. "Oh, we're almost at school already. That's a shame…"

"Is school fun?" Hamuko asked him curiously. Although it's only been a few days, the new junior had become immensely popular. Despite all the girls flocking to him though, the brunette couldn't help but notice how his blue eyes didn't quite light up unless he was with Minato or herself.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun," Ryoji nodded. He walked by her side and gave her a concerned frown. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"No, it's definitely fun," Hamuko reassured him. "I have nii-san and all my other friends there."

"That's good," the boy told her as he wore a small smile. "I didn't have to worry about you after all. You don't seem like the type of person who would enjoy being alone anyways." A sad expression painted over his face. "To be honest, I don't like seeing people feeling lonely… It makes me so sad that it hurts… Is that strange?"

"No," the brunette shook her head. "I'm the same way."

Ryoji seemed relieved at that so he glanced up at the sky. "You know… School's probably fun for me because I know I can see you there. Everything's glimmering there, just like this ocean…" he extended his arm towards the coast beside them. He let out a kind laugh and Hamuko smiled at how carefree he seemed. "Oh, we're here," he smiled to her as they passed the school gates. "I hope today turns out to be fun!" He offered the brunette his hand.

Hamuko didn't really know why, but she accepted his hand. "Yeah!" She gave him a bright smile as the Fortune Arcana flashed again in her mind.

* * *

~13 NOVEMBER 2009~

"Itadakimasu!" Hamuko laughed as she dug into her bento.

Minato sighed as he picked up his own pair of chopsticks. "I told you before that I don't need you waking me up on the mornings that come after a visit to Tartarus."

"Well, sorry for being worried about your attendance record," the brunette pouted at him. "And you should really be careful, nii-san. You wouldn't want to get Fuuka-chan in trouble now."

"I know that!" the blue-haired boy glared at her as she laughed at him. He grumbled as he ate his own lunch. "I can't believe I'm stuck making lunch for you all week… All this cooking cuts into the time I could be spending asleep."

Hamuko chuckled at that before she noticed the two extra lunchboxes her brother made. "So who are those for?"

Minato smiled as the door to the classroom slid open. "One is for my girlfriend," he stated with a nod.

"Hello, Hamuko-chan!" Fuuka sat beside the brunette.

"I didn't know you were joining us for lunch, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko blinked at her.

The teal-haired girl blushed. "I've been spending a lot of time with Minato-kun and it's been a while since you and I hung out."

"You two really were meant for each other," Hamuko sighed. "Nii-san, I'm _fine_."

"Really?" Minato eyed his sister carefully. "Because according to Aigis, on nights we go to Tartarus, you somehow end up in Shinji-nii's room the next morning."

"I get tired," Hamuko said as an excuse. "Harabah's a weird block. It's really dark, colorful, and a bit nauseating. And all those stairs to climb on top of that? Shinji-kun's room is convenient."

"Uh-huh…" her brother gave her a deadpan stare.

"Come on. I see you getting dizzy in Tartarus, nii-san," Hamuko stubbornly argued. She looked over to the girl sitting beside her for some support. "Tell him, Fuuka-chan. Doesn't he look a bit tired to you?"

The brown-eyed junior tensed up as she looked between the concerned twins. "Um…" She found it difficult to side with either sibling so she looked around for a way out of the situation. "Oh! Minato-kun… why is there an extra bento?"

Hamuko blinked at the untouched lunch. "Oh, yeah… You never told me who it was for."

Minato frowned at both girls as they were purposefully distracting him, but he sighed as he allowed himself to take the bait. "Ryoji asked me to make him a lunch too."

"And you said yes why?" the brunette asked him.

The blue-haired boy blankly stared at his food. "The same reason I made you lunch…"

Hamuko was silent at that. After a while, she burst out in laughter. "I can't believe he's blackmailing you, too."

"It's not blackmail," a voice similar to Minato's spoke up. Ryoji smiled as he sat at his desk. "I'm just keeping a secret for him and Minato-kun's thanking me."

"That's a very nice way of describing it, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko snickered.

"I'm sorry to put you through all this trouble, Minato-kun," Fuuka frowned at the blue-haired boy.

Minato quickly grabbed her hand. "N-not at all, Fuuka! I'd do anything to protect you." He stared at her with grave determination. "In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing."

Ryoji nodded in agreement. "How very chivalrous of you, Minato-kun." He opened up the lunchbox and smiled. "So this is how a traditional Japanese box lunch is prepared…"

"So you've really never had a bento before, Ryoji-kun?" Hamuko stared at the transfer student in surprise.

The raven-haired boy shook his head. "This will be my first." He bit into the octopus-shaped sausage and brightened. "Wow, such care and thoughtfulness…" Ryoji turned towards Minato. "I can feel the tenderness you put into it, Minato-kun." He smirked at Fuuka. "You're very lucky to be dating him."

"Thank you?" Fuuka blushed.

"Don't tease her." Minato frowned at Ryoji.

The scarf-wearing junior laughed. "I'll savor each bite as I enjoy my first Japanese home-cooked meal."

"Just shut up and eat already!" the blue-haired boy huffed.

Fuuka curiously stared at the transfer student. "Ryoji-kun, you were overseas until recently, right?"

"That's right," the new boy nodded with a smile. "I've been to all sorts of places, but it's good to finally return to Japan. My parents were born here but I'm not very familiar with the culture…"

"What was your old school like?" Hamuko asked.

Ryoji paused and frowned as he tried to remember. "My old school?" He shook his head. "It wasn't like Gekkoukan… Everyone here is so nice… I'm so happy I can make so many friends…"

Hamuko blinked as the boy's blue eyes glowed in a strange sadness. _Is Ryoji-kun actually like Minato and me? That loneliness… It hurts…_

Minato seemed to sense it too as he frowned at his new seating partner. "Hey," he eyed Ryoji's bento, "if you don't hurry up and finish it, I'm pretty sure Hamuko will steal your omelet."

"Nii-san, that's something you'd do," Hamuko glared at her brother.

Fuuka smiled at the twins. "You two…"

Ryoji chuckled. "This is fun," he stated. "It's like a double date at school."

"Like hell it's like that," Minato knit his eyebrows together.

Hamuko paused at that and looked down at her watch. "No," she agreed with her brother, "it's not like that at all…"

Her older brother stared at the brunette in concern before looking towards Fuuka. The teal-haired girl sensed it too and shared a frown with him. Ryoji noticed something was amiss but he just gave Hamuko a soft smile. "Even so, you have to admit that this is fun," the transfer student gently said. "Being able to enjoy lunch with friends… this would also be my first…"

The three other juniors silently stared at him. Hamuko knit her eyebrows together as something about the raven-haired boy resonated with her. _Ryoji-kun…_ Without thinking, she placed her hand over his. "Speaking of firsts, you've never been to the strip mall, have you? Why don't I show you around Iwatodai after school today?"

"That sounds nice," Ryoji cheered up at that. He looked over towards Minato and Fuuka. "Will you be joining us too?"

"We can't," Minato shook his head.

Fuuka smiled. "We have Photography Club today. The Club President has something important to tell us."

"Then it'll be just the two of us," Ryoji put on a charming smile.

"It's a date then," Hamuko joked, causing Minato to groan.

* * *

Hamuko and Ryoji made it out to the front of the school before a girl noticed Ryoji leaving. "Oh, Ryoji-kun," the girl called out to him. "Are you going home?"

"Ah, Mikako-chan," Ryoji smiled.

Another girl came up to him. "Ooh, it's Ryoji. Hey, are you going somewhere?"

Hamuko stepped away from the crowd beginning to swarm him. She frowned as she forgot about his immense popularity. _Actually… I keep forgetting he's not nii-san…_ She watched as her friend's blue eyes gleamed mischievously. _Their faces and voices are a bit similar but… they have completely different personalities. Ryoji-kun is more open and honest with his feelings… He's a bit like…_ "Me?" Hamuko knit her eyebrows together.

Ryoji tried to free himself from his adoring mob. "Sorry, ladies, but I've already got plans for today. Maybe next time…" he smiled at them.

"Whaat?" A girl with buns frowned at him. "When's 'next time' gonna be?"

"Tell you what," Ryoji winked at her, "I'll make sure I see you in your dreams tonight."

The girl squealed at his charm. "Aww!"

Ryoji slowly made his way through the throng of female students. He was almost at the edge when he began cheerfully laughing. "Please! You're all so cute; I can't choose just one of you." He spotted Hamuko patiently waiting for him and hurried to get to her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he frowned at the other girls, "but I've already decided on my princess for today." He suddenly took Hamuko's hand resulting in the entire mob glaring at her. Sensing their hostility, Ryoji pulled Hamuko to safety.

"Why'd you do that…?" Hamuko asked him when they were finally alone.

"Why…?" Ryoji turned to her in surprise. "It's because…" The boy suddenly fell silent as he didn't quite understand it himself. "Sorry…" he apologized to her without looking up.

"I'm not mad," she shook her head.

"It's just that…" he spoke softly into his scarf. "I'm sorry. I feel like I shouldn't be saying things like this to you." Hamuko noticed his dejected expression. "I want to be more sincere with you… I wonder why…" His hand tightened around Hamuko's. His eyes widened a bit as he noticed he was still holding onto her. "Oh… Sorry." He looked around as he let go of her hand. "Aigis-san's going to get angry again if she sees me holding your hand. But…" he frowned. "I wonder why. For some reason, Aigis-san too…" He put a hand on his head as he tried to remember. "I feel like I know her, and it's on the tip of my brain… I just can't remember it!" He became sadder as he also considered another classmate of theirs. "And there's also Minato-kun… Spending time with the both of you, it feels so familiar…" He stared at Hamuko in confusion. "I don't really know how to explain it but I feel at ease when you both are together. I know I'm still new here, but it's hard to imagine you both living without each other… You both care a lot for each other, don't you?"

Hamuko chuckled at that. "Of course… We're siblings so we're always looking out for each other."

"Your bond with your brother is very beautiful," Ryoji softly smiled. "No matter what separates you, you'll both always be connected." The boy chuckled before pausing when something about what he said sounded familiar.

"Ryoji-kun, are you okay?" the brunette studied him carefully.

"O-oh, I'm fine," the raven-haired boy gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm probably just rambling…"

"You're a bit like Minato," Hamuko noticed. "He tends to act the same way."

"Really?" Ryoji took a moment to think about it. "I know we haven't known each other for long but I feel like he and I are a lot more alike than people realize… His eyes reflect a lot about him. They're very kind, but that kindness can make him very lonely." He worriedly stared at the red-eyed girl. "You have the same eyes as your brother, too, Hamuko-chan."

"I do?"

He nodded. "But I don't think I have to worry about you or your brother because you're both twins," he said with a small smile on his face. "So that you both would never have to be alone, you were born together with this miracle. Even if miracles don't last forever, what's important is that it still happened…" _Huh…? Did I say something like this before?_ Ryoji wore a painful expression as he tried to remember. _Why do I feel so sad saying these things to Hamuko-chan?_

"A miracle that we were both born together?" Hamuko smiled to herself before looking back towards Ryoji. "I guess it is a miracle." She paused when she saw the boy's sad face. "Ryoji-kun?"

"Oh…" he suddenly looked up. "I shouldn't let myself get lost in thought while you're with me," he said shaking his head. He quickly changed the subject. "Can you show me around the city? I want to see all the places you like to go to."

Hamuko looked towards Iwatodai and smiled. "Sure," she nodded at the Ryoji, taking his hand. "Let's start with the strip mall! They've got the best ramen restaurant anywhere!"

"That sounds fun!" Ryoji cheerfully laughed. "Perhaps afterwards we can go to Shirakawa Boulevard? I've heard many interesting things about that area."

Hamuko shot him a good-natured frown. "Don't push your luck, Mochizuki! If my brother finds out, he'll bury you alive!" The two laughed as they made their way to the station.

* * *

~14 NOVEMBER 2009~

Mitsuru stared out over the island that her family had built. She frowned to herself before being startled by the door opening behind her. She turned slightly to see Yukari walking over towards her.

"There you are…" the junior smiled. "I've been looking for you. It's rare for you to miss a Student Council meeting."

"I take it someone asked you to find me?" Mitsuru asked her.

"Well, yeah," Yukari nodded. "Hamuko and Minato did, even though I'm not a member."

"Sorry about that," the senior frowned.

"They seem pretty busy," the brunette informed her, "with the class trip and all. I bet you have your hands full, since it's both for juniors and seniors…"

"Hmph…" the redhead turned back to face the view. "The class trip, huh… Even if I went, I'd only spoil the fun…"

"You're not thinking of skipping the trip, are you?" the junior asked her in surprise. When the older girl didn't respond, Yukari scolded her. "You can't do that!" Surprised by the younger student's outburst, Mitsuru turned to look at her. "Ya know," Yukari lowered her gaze, "I've been meaning to talk to you…"

"Is that so…?"

"To tell you the truth, you're not the easiest person to relate to," Yukari admitted to the senior. "But," she didn't waver as she continued, "I know what it's like to lose a father…"

"Takeba…" Mitsuru stared at her with dim red eyes as she remembered the Kirijo scientist.

"I decided that I should be more up front with you from now on…" Yukari nodded. Mitsuru remained silent but both girls turned when the door to the rooftop opened again.

Ryoji smiled as he spotted the red-haired beauty. "Ah, there she is…" He put on his biggest smile as he casually approached them. "Hey there, ladies! I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Ryoji-kun…" Yukari sighed. "Why are you here…?"

"Huh…?" her classmate looked at her in confusion. "Same as you, I was trying to find Mitsuru-senpai. Some girl I've never met before asked me to look for her…" He paused. "Wait… I think I spoke to her once… She was Minato-kun's friend…" He rubbed his cheek as he remembered being slapped by her.

"What?" Yukari frowned at him. "Chihiro-san?"

Ryoji shrugged as he continued. "She wasn't the only one who asked, either. Another guy said if I didn't find Mitsuru-san, the class trip might get cancelled."

"Hidetoshi-kun…" Yukari guessed. "He'll hit up anyone in arm's reach for favors…"

"But, I'm the lucky one who found you, Mitsuru Kirijo…" Ryoji smiled as he approached the older girl. "You're quite stunning, if I may say so. Would you like to go out sometime? I know this one restaurant: it's on the top floor of a 3-star hotel…" He gave Mitsuru his best smile. "The view at night is almost as breathtaking as you."

"Huh?" The Student Council President was taken aback by his boldness, but she wasn't quite in the right state of mind to properly respond.

Fortunately, Yukari came to her rescue. "Senpai!" she called out. "You better get back to the meeting!"

"I-I suppose so," Mitsuru frowned. She started towards the stairs but gave the female junior a grateful nod. "Takeba… Thank you for your concern." She walked onward with her eyes cast on the ground. "For now, I will attend to my duties."

When she was gone, Ryoji frowned to himself. "Hey, she left without answering my question…"

Yukari ignored him as she wore a worried frown. "For now, huh. I don't like the sound of that…" she said to herself.

"Um, Yukari-san…" The transfer student smiled as he took a step closer to the archer's side. "Would you like to join me for dinner? I know this place on Shirakawa Boulevard…" Just the name of the location gave her bad flashbacks and she reflexively slapped the boy. "Ow!"

"Don't ever bring that place up with me again," she scowled at him before stomping on his foot and following the Student Council President inside.

Ryoji whimpered a bit as he hopped on his good foot. "Hm… Now I'm curious…" he smiled as he returned inside.

* * *

The Den Mother waited as Minato took a seat. "Would you like to know your fortune?"

"Yes, please," he nodded.

"Very well," the woman smiled at him. She became surprised as she noticed something strange in her orb. "Oh…? Is this a new friend…?" A silhouette of Ryoji appeared. "How mystifying… No one can see into his essence… No one, save for one girl…" The orb was split between light and shadows and within the darkness, a shining figure resembling Aigis appeared, staring at Ryoji as he stood on the other side.

"Huh?" Minato frowned as the vision faded. "Is that all?"

"Yes," the fortune teller told him.

"I see…" He stood from his seat. "Thank you for your time," he bowed.

"Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

As Minato left the nightclub, he knit his eyebrows together. _Ryoji Mochizuki… He's not someone I should be worried about…_ He sat at a bench and crossed his arms. _Actually, could there be something wrong with Aigis's recognition system? Ikutsuki never did figure out why she wanted to protect Hamuko and me._ He stared at his boots for a while and noticed traces of blood on them, probably from their last visit to Tartarus. _It's getting harder for me to sense the Shadows' presence during our training sessions. We've been getting ambushed a lot more… That's never happened before. It's a good thing Fuuka is always on top of her scans or else I'd really be in trouble. But could it be that I've lost my edge after Pharos disappeared?_

 _Did he even really exist in the first place? He could have been just a figment of my imagination… No, that's impossible. Hamuko saw him too._ Minato's frown deepened. _Oh, who am I kidding? Pharos is gone and he's never coming back… I have to accept that he's moved on. We're no longer Orpheus so there's no point in us looking back either. If we do, we'll only lose what's important to us. Still… he was our friend…_

"Hm… If you keep frowning like that, I'm pretty sure you face will stick that way," a voice lightly laughed.

Minato lifted his gaze and blinked at his sister. "What are you doing here?"

"I was visiting the Velvet Room," Hamuko smirked as she sat beside him. "You?"

"Escapade," he shrugged.

"A new fortune?"

"Yup," her brother nodded. "It wasn't much help this time either…"

"What was it about?" Hamuko curiously asked him.

Minato smirked as he wasn't sure his sister would believe him. "Ryoji and Aigis… There's got to be a reason why he puts her on edge, but he's normal." He frowned. "I think…" The blue-haired boy shook his head. "Well, there's no way he's completely normal if he actually tried to ask Mitsuru-senpai out."

The brunette lightly laughed at that. "Oh, I heard about that from Yukari. That would have been something I wanted to see for myself."

"Under normal circumstances, I'm pretty sure he would have been executed on the spot," the Hellhound sighed. "But… I guess Senpai's still a bit lost…"

"We all are…" Hamuko frowned.

"Yeah…" Minato shifted closer to his sister. "So I know I've been bothering you a lot about this lately, but… about Shinji-nii…"

"Nii-san…" the girl groaned. "I'm fine…" She cast him an annoyed glare. "Why do keep bringing him up?"

"Because Ryoji keeps bothering me about why you look so 'lonely' whenever you see me with Fuuka." Minato worriedly stared at her. "Talk to me, Hamuko. I'm your brother, aren't I?" His blue eyes glowed in concern. "Why are you shutting me out?"

"I'm not shutting you out," Hamuko shook her head.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm…" The girl hesitated a bit before staring at her shoes. "I'm just trying to decide whether I want to keep going…"

"What do you mean?" the blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side.

"Is there really a point in us fighting anymore, nii-san?" Hamuko asked him. "I always thought our only reason for joining SEES was to get rid of your Reapers…"

"That was true," Minato chuckled, "in the beginning. But things are different now. I might have found another reason to keep fighting…"

"Yeah and she's fantastic," Hamuko wryly smiled, "but I don't have someone like that…"

"Which brings me back to Shinji-nii," Minato stated with a nod.

The brunette tensed up. After a few seconds of silence, she tried to put on a smile for him. "I'm—"

"Stop it," her brother sternly told her, blue eyes flashing. "You're not fine and you know it."

"There's nothing wrong!" Hamuko was getting fed up with her brother's persistence. "I'm completely fine on my own!" Minato silently stared at her as he patiently waited for her to realize the gravity of her words. She continued to glare at him until her red eyes slowly widened. "N-no… wait… Minato…"

Minato wryly laughed. "So this is how it feels to be shut out from your own twin…" He crossed his arms. "It really doesn't feel good, but at least now I understand why you're always so persistent with me."

The brunette lowered her gaze and frowned at herself. "I'm sorry, nii-san… I didn't mean to shout…"

"Come on. I know you didn't mean it," he shrugged. "You _hate_ being alone. More than anything." Minato's expression softened. "You've always supported me, whether I wanted you to or not. I just want to do the same for you."

"By bringing up Shinji-kun over and over again?" Hamuko dryly asked him.

"He would have wanted you to move on by now," Minato firmly stated. "I know it's not like me to say this but I want you to be happy too." He stared at Hamuko's pink wrist watch. "I don't think there will be a person I will respect as much as Shinji-nii, but I'm willing to try if it means you'll be happy."

"There won't be anyone else, Minato," Hamuko sighed. "I wouldn't want to cause you anymore grief if I do end up falling in love again…"

"Hamuko…" Minato frowned.

"You're a lot more sensitive than me so if I end up hurt again, you're just going to lose it."

"That's not really fair," her brother sighed, "using me as an excuse…"

"But you're my greatest weakness," Hamuko told him with a genuine smile, "as well as my greatest strength." Minato knit his eyebrows together. "You're my older brother and you've always been looking out for me in your own way."

"I still wish I could do more for you…"

"Well, even if I don't find someone, I'll always have you," the brunette gratefully laughed. "You're the most important guy in my life, Minato. I wasn't kidding when I said I'd date you if we weren't twins."

Minato studied Hamuko's small smile before standing up. He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "You really are something, you know that?" he said with a smirk.

"Hey, I'm not a little kid!" the brunette pouted. She looked up at her taller brother as he kept his hand in place. "And I'm serious! I really do love you, nii-san."

"I love you too, Hamuko," he smiled as he lowered his arm. "Nothing will ever change that because we are and always have been twins… We're connected in a way nobody else can understand." He placed a hand over his heart. "The proof is in Thanatos," he stated with a curt nod.

Hamuko nodded at him. "I know, Minato. Thanks…" She paused as she felt she had a similar conversation like this with someone else recently. _Oh… it was with Ryoji-kun…_ She smiled as the raven-haired boy really was a bit like her brother. "Nii-san?"

"Yeah?" Minato carefully studied her.

"If I end up dating someone, you really wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," he shook his head. He seriously frowned as he thought of something. "Oh, but if anything ever happens, I'm going to kill whoever it is if he hurts you."

Hamuko laughed. "Okay, I get it." She happily smiled at her kind, overprotective brother. "Thanks for everything, Minato."

"You don't have to thank me, Hamuko," the boy blushed. "I'm your brother… and I'll do anything I have to for you. You know that." He awkwardly looked away. "Now let's go home. It's getting late."

"How about dinner first?" the brunette suggested as she got up. "I'll pay this time."

Minato turned to her in surprise before noticing she was serious about her offer. "Hagakure's it is then," he nodded with a smile.

* * *

~15 NOVEMBER 2009~

Ryoji studied the busy café and smiled at the charming facility. "This place is interesting," he told Hamuko. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the girl quickly preempted him.

"It's because I'm here with you," she smirked.

The blue-eyed boy cheerfully laughed. "You knew what I was going to say." He glanced at the other tables and rested his elbows on the table. "You know, all these people around us… I'll bet they're all couples."

Hamuko took a look around too and noticed he was right. "Huh… I would never have noticed…"

The boy nodded as he wistfully stared over Hamuko's shoulder at a familiar couple sitting near the back of the café. "Being lovers means that there's nobody else in the world that you care more for, right?" He tilted his head to the side as he considered the notion. "That'd be wonderful, if it were really true."

"I think it really happens," Hamuko smiled with a blush. She absently played with her watch.

Ryoji chuckled at her as the blue-haired boy he was staring at happily laughed. "I see," the transfer student said letting out an amiable laugh. "You know, sometimes I think… I would still like you, no matter if you were a guy or a girl."

"Why 'would'?" Hamuko asked him.

The other junior laughed a bit more. "Well, we did just meet fairly recently, after all." He gently smiled at the brunette before he knit his eyebrows together. "Actually, I'm lying. I'm positive that I've seen you somewhere before. When I'm with you, I just get this feeling that I'll find out how I know you, and we'll become closer…" He lowered his gaze. "But… For some reason, that makes me want to cry." The black-haired boy hung his head. "I've never cried before," he admitted to her.

"Ryoji-kun?" Hamuko frowned at his sad expression.

"I… want to spend time with you alone like this," he admitted to her. "If I'm not bothering you… would it be all right if I asked you out again?"

"You're not a bother at all," Hamuko told him, reaching for his hand, hoping the gesture would comfort him.

"I see…" the boy looked up at her and softly smiled. "I'm happy to hear that." He quickly cheered up and straightened himself in his seat. "Oh, that reminds me. That school trip's coming up soon, right? Let's find some time to go somewhere together while we're there."

"Sure thing," the red-eyed girl nodded.

"Yeah," Ryoji fondly smiled at their plans. "I'm really looking forward to it." He happily laughed as they finished their date.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Fuuka happily smiled at her boyfriend as he set his coffee cup down. "I can't wait for the Kyoto trip, Minato-kun."

The blue-haired boy nodded as he picked up his pen. "Is this really all the film we're bringing?" he asked with a slight frown. "It doesn't seem like enough to me…"

"You really do love taking pictures, don't you, Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked as she grabbed his free hand.

"I love capturing memories…" the boy softly admitted to her. "I don't ever want to forget precious moments of my life." He brought the quiet girl's hand up to his lips and kissed it. "They're proof that they happened and I want to remember them forever."

"Minato-kun…" the girl blushed at his words.

"That said, I'm going to add a few more rolls of film to our list." He studied the paper once more. "Um… I put down yukatas but we'll be staying at a traditional inn, right? They normally provide us with yukatas since they have hot spring baths."

"I wonder if it's a mixed bath," Fuuka absently said aloud. When she realized what she had said, she quickly blushed. "U-um… n-not that I have anything in mind!"

Minato lightly laughed. "Fuuka, it's okay. With as many times we've seen each other, it should be fine, right?"

"It's still embarrassing, Minato-kun," the girl pouted at him.

"But you're so beautiful…" the boy blushed. After a while, he frowned as he remembered his weak constitution. "Actually, even if it was a mixed bath, I don't think you'd enjoy it if you were with me… I wouldn't be able to stay for as long as I'd like to," he sighed.

Fuuka looked at him worriedly. "Please take care of yourself then, Minato-kun. I wouldn't want you getting sick during the trip. I want to make a lot of good memories with you there!"

"I'll do my best," Minato nodded at her. He paused as he noticed his sister in the café too. "Huh? Is that Hamuko?"

Fuuka turned around and spotted the brunette. "Oh, she looks like she's here with Ryoji-kun." The teal-haired girl turned back towards Minato and gave the older brother a frown. "Are you worried?"

"Not really," the boy shook his head. "I made a promise to Hamuko to let her date whoever she wanted. Besides," Minato leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "for some reason, I trust him. He reminds me of someone I've met before." The blue-haired teen frowned as he tried to figure out who it was. "I can't remember who though…"

"Nii-san!" a voice called out towards them. Ryoji laughed as he approached the couple. "You don't mind if I call you that from now on, right? Nii-san?"

"Oh…" Minato's face fell as he looked towards his smirking younger sister. "That's who you remind me of…"

"What? Were you talking about us?" Hamuko snickered as she pulled on her brother's cheek. "I didn't think you'd be on a date with Fuuka-chan!"

"Um…" Fuuka blushed as the outgoing juniors brightly smiled at them. "Minato-kun and I were just going over a list of things to bring with us to Kyoto."

"Hey, nii-san," Ryoji smiled at Minato. "Wouldn't it be great if it were a mixed bath? We'd be able to have a fou—"

"Finish that thought and I'll kill you," the Hellhound threatened him as his eyes flashed dangerously.

Fuuka looked at the two boys in confusion. "Um…"

"You really are shameless in public, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko laughed.

"It was only a joke," the black-haired boy shrugged. "Unless you were actually considering it… I'm all for it either way."

"I don't quite understand," Fuuka frowned.

"Please don't think about it too much, Fuuka," Minato groaned as he quickly downed his burning hot coffee. He sighed at the other boy. "You really are going to be a hassle to be around…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Given Harabah's design, it takes a while for me to get used to it since I'm the type of person who gets motion sickness from playing shooters... Also, given the nature of Ryoji, I can't tell if Hamuko is being vain or is in love with her brother. If it was Minato and Ryoji, it's easy to just call himself narcissistic. But anyways, expect the next chapter on Monday!


	42. Kyoto, Tales of Love and Misfortune

**Author's Notes:** Kyoto time! A fun break from the depression that SEES is involved in. Ryoji still makes everything better.

* * *

~17 NOVERMBER 2009~

Minato smirked as they stepped off the bullet train. He admired the vehicle for one more minute before turning towards Fuuka. "Did you know that the Shinkansen—?"

"Dude, you and Ryoji wouldn't shut up about it the entire ride," Junpei frowned at him. "If you bring up the train thing one more time, I'm going to hit you."

"But it's a fun fact," the blue-haired boy shrugged. He frowned when Yukari and Junpei both glared at him. "Okay, okay… I thought you'd both be over what happened by now, but fine…" Minato sighed.

"You can tell me later, Minato-kun," Fuuka smiled at him.

"Enough about trains," Hamuko raised both her arms into the air as she and Ryoji stepped off the bullet train. "Can you believe we're finally here in Kyoto?"

Junpei looked around and shook his head. "Kyoto, huh…? Talk about a clichéd place to go on a school trip."

Ryoji turned to his friend in surprise. "Huh? Don't you like it?" He smiled as he waved his arms towards the tranquil scenery before them. "Personally, I think it's one of the most beautiful places in the world!"

"Whatever!" Junpei crossed his arms.

"Minato-kun understands," the blue-eyed boy pointed at the junior who was now capturing pictures.

"Hm?" Minato turned towards the scarf-wearing boy when he heard his name. "Oh, yeah." He put down his camera and wore a small smile. "I think it's a beautiful place to have good memories of while we're still young."

"Is that so…?" Junpei frowned at the two. "Ya know, every now and then, you both sound like old men."

"Really?" Ryoji asked as he and Minato looked at each other with a shrug. The two began smirking and laughing together.

Hamuko crossed her arms as she studied both blue-eyed boys. _Huh… That's weird…_

Fuuka giggled at the two juniors. "Minato-kun and Ryoji-kun really are similar sometimes," she noted.

Aigis forced her way between the two boys. "Please do not stand near Minato-san," she frowned at Ryoji.

"Can I stand next to you, Aigis-san?" Ryoji smiled at the blonde.

"Absolutely not!"

"Aigis!" Minato restrained the robot from attacking their friend. "I want to enjoy this trip so please try to control yourself," he groaned.

Yukari laughed a bit at her friends before turning towards the seniors. The brunette let out a relieved sigh when she saw Mitsuru standing with Akihiko. The white-haired boxer was keeping an eye on her as he helped organize the classes for the Student Council President. "She came… Thank goodness," Yukari muttered to herself.

* * *

The juniors stared at the inn with wide eyes as they entered the building. Junpei's smirk grew as he began to shake in excitement. "We're finally here! Whoa, nice place!"

"It IS an expensive area, after all," Yukari shrugged.

Ryoji spotted a large umbrella and immediately dragged Minato and Hamuko with him to examine it. "Hey, what's that umbrella for?"

Minato shrugged before making a joke. "Maybe the roof leaks," he said, pointing toward the ceiling.

"Huh?" The boy smirked. "But this is the 1st floor!" He looked around. "This building would have to be pretty old." He tilted his head to the side as he came up with a plausible explanation. "Maybe it's for good luck?"

"If that's the case," Hamuko hugged Ryoji's arm, "you wanna get under it?"

The raven-haired boy put on his most charming smile. "Doing anything together with you would be my pleasure. Say, why don't we go hang out somewhere together after this?"

"What kind of reasoning is that!?" Yukari asked their classmate as she pulled Hamuko away from the flirt. "Watch yourself around this guy, okay, leader? He'll go after any girl with a pulse."

"Leader?" Minato crossed his arms. "But…" he shook his head as he decided to let it slide just this once.

Ryoji shook his head. "That's no way to refer to someone with so cute a name as hers." He looked back towards Hamuko with a serious expression. "Oh, and I don't just go for anyone. I want to get to know you better because… you're you." His smile quickly returned. "Though I must say, we're getting along pretty well already." He let out a soft laugh.

"Huh?" Yukari eyed him suspiciously. "What's with that chuckle? Wait, don't tell me, are you two…?" She looked between Hamuko and Ryoji in disbelief.

Aigis continued to glare at Ryoji. "You are a problem!"

"Ugh, sheesh…" Yukari shook her head and turned towards Minato. "Aren't you going to do anything about this?"

"Hm?" Minato blinked at her. "Why? Ryoji and Hamuko are just kidding… I think…" He turned back towards Ryoji. "Anyways… back to the umbrella. It's probably just for decoration."

Ryoji nodded to him with a smile. "I see. So, that's the style here in Kyoto, huh?" He looked around and nudged Minato with an elbow. "Speaking of which… Where can I find a geisha?"

Junpei straightened up at that and placed his arm around Minato's shoulder. "That's right, I forgot about that! Count me in!"

"Keep dreamin', Junpei," Yukari rolled her eyes.

"W-what? H-hey! Don't drag me along for this!" Minato cried as both boys pulled him along with them. He fought against them, but paused when he noticed a small pool outside the window. "Oh, cool! Look at that!" He quickly freed himself and pulled out his camera.

Aigis stood at his side as she examined the scenery. "The stone area outside is filled with water… Is this one of the open-air hot springs I have heard about?" she asked.

Hamuko smirked at the robot. "Wanna try going in it?"

Fuuka quickly shook her head and pulled on Aigis's arm. "N-no! Aigis, you can't go in there! A bath wouldn't be so out in the open like this!" She frowned at Hamuko. "Come on, don't lie to her!"

This only made the red-eyed girl laugh. Her brother sighed and shook his head at everyone's antics. "Aigis, it's just a courtyard," he explained. "It's not meant for bathing."

"I see," the robot nodded in understanding.

Finally reigning in her laughter, Hamuko threw an arm around her brother's shoulder. "This trip really is fun! I'm so glad we're here!"

Junpei curiously turned towards Ryoji. "So, where were you guys gonna go at your old school, Ryoji?" He smirked. "Somewhere interesting, I bet. Kyoto's so typical, don't ya think?"

"Hmm…" Ryoji considered it for a moment. "I don't really remember."

"Are you serious?" Yukari asked him. "That's the highlight of the year!"

"Really?" the blue-eyed boy frowned. "That's odd… I can't really remember—"

"Come on," he was interrupted by Toriumi. The stern teacher shook her head at the group of juniors. "You can talk later. You're blocking the hallway. Girls, your rooms are that way," she pointed up the stairs towards the third floor. "Why don't you go get unpacked?"

"You heard her," Junpei shrugged.

Fuuka turned towards Minato and gave him a smile. "We'll see you later then. This way, Hamuko-chan." She started up the stairs with the brunette.

"This way, Hamuko-chan," Junpei smiled, following them.

Ryoji chuckled as he did the same. "I'm looking forward to seeing the rooms, Hamuko-chan."

Aigis waved at them as she remained at Minato's side. "Well, I will see you later."

"Hey, knock it off, Aigis! Back over there!" Minato scolded her.

Yukari shook her head at them all. "All right, this has gone far enough!" She sharply pulled on Junpei's and Ryoji's ears. "Junpei and Ryoji-kun, guy's room! Aigis, girl's room! You're coming with us! Get with the program!"

"Awww…" Both Ryoji and Junpei sighed as Minato sternly frowned at them.

* * *

~18 NOVEMBER 2009~

When the entire tour group broke up after the day's activities, Mitsuru found herself at the river bank. The evening was already upon her but she refused to look away from the glimmering water. She heard someone approach her but the redhead didn't turn. She could already guess who it was.

Yukari wore a worried frown. "We should probably head back. We don't want to miss curfew." Mitsuru gave the younger girl a quick glance as the brunette approached her side. "The later it gets, the more crowded the Shijou becomes," she informed her.

"Why are you still concerned about me?" Mitsuru frowned. "Our days of fighting together are over. We have no common goal to fight for, no enemies to defeat…" her gaze lowered, "no reason to be friends."

"That's not true…" Yukari shook her head.

"We've reached our conclusion…" Mitsuru said, turning back towards the river. "Why should we continue on? Everything I believed in was a lie. And in the end, I failed to…" The senior faltered.

"You failed to what?" the junior frowned at her. "To protect the most important person in your life? Is that what you're trying to say?" The brunette glared at her and clenched her fists. "You said you were atoning for what the Kirijo Group did in the past, but that's not true. You were only fighting to protect your father."

"That's right!" Mitsuru snapped at her. "I fought to protect him, and look what happened! My trust for the Chairman blinded me, and I fell right into his trap! There was nothing I could do! My father placed the onus of responsibility all upon himself. And ever since the incident, he looked as if he was dead inside." The normally strong young woman could feel tears beginning to burn in her eyes. "I fought so that he could release the shame and guilt that burdened him so!" Yukari frowned as she cast her eyes to the ground. "But my efforts were futile…" Mitsuru lowered her head. "And now my life is without meaning." She clenched her fists. "Right!?" Yukari suddenly slapped her, stunning the older girl. "Ngh…"

The brunette lowered her hand and shook her head. "I'm sorry. But, we don't know that for sure yet." Mitsuru paused as her cheek stung. She watched as Yukari turned to face the river too. "Hey, did you know that I used to live around here?" She frowned as she recalled her childhood. "After my dad died, my mom spent all her time throwing herself at random men… I couldn't stand seeing her acting like that, so I used to come out here to the river bank to get away." Mitsuru remained silent as she continued to listen. "My belief in my dad was all I had…"

The redhead felt the familiar guilt return. "Your father was only doing what he thought was best…"

"Yes, but it was still wrong," Yukari pointed out. "So he fought to the end to try and make it right again. He never gave up," the brunette smiled. "He believed Shadows were dangerous, and they needed to be stopped, even if it meant losing his life… That's why I fight." She gave the senior a determined look. "I want to eliminate the Dark Hour and fulfill my dad's final wish."

"Fulfill his final wish…" Mitsuru considered those words.

"That's all I—no, we can do." Yukari put on a small smile. "Right, Senpai?"

"Yes…" The redhead frowned as she considered the rest of SEES. "Yes," she said again, but with more determination, "I agree, Takeba." She faced Yukari. "It's not over yet. Nothing has been decided. We must put an end to this. For the sake of my father… and yours."

"Senpai…" Yukari's smile grew.

"Yukari," Mitsuru stared into the younger girl's eyes, "will you stand with me until the end?"

"Of course," Yukari replied with a bow. She ran back up the bank. "Well, I guess we should go and take a bath together now."

The Student Council President's face went red as she didn't quite understand. "T-take a bath together?"

"Yeah, in the outdoor hot spring back at the hotel," the archer clarified. "It's really nice. Now that we have everything out in the open, there's nothing left for us to hide!"

"Nothing?" Mitsuru frowned as her cheeks continued to burn.

"H-hey, stop blushing!" Yukari laughed. "I didn't mean it like that!" She looked up towards the sky. "Anyways, we should really get going. It's already past curfew." She ran off towards the inn.

After watching the brunette leave, Mitsuru looked towards the sky and smiled softly to herself. "There is no need to worry, Father… I am not alone." She clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "And I'll never look back again."

Penthesilea resonated within her before transforming into a new Persona. _"Thou art I, and I am thou,"_ the new Persona bowed to her. _"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Artemisia, warrior queen of Caria."_ Artemisia quickly returned to her. _"Come what may, you will always have my strength to face battle and strife."_

Mitsuru pulled herself together to prevent her tears from falling. "Please watch over me," she whispered to both her Persona and father.

* * *

~19 NOVEMBER 2009~

Hamuko smiled as she noticed Mitsuru seemed different today. The senior was actually enjoying herself on the school trip now. She had asked Yukari what brought about the change, but the archer only told her that their reliable Student Council President renewed her resolve. Hamuko understood immediately and was glad.

Yukari wanted to speak with her more to make sure the red-eyed girl was also okay with continuing their fight, but Ryoji quickly interrupted. The smooth boy ended up kidnapping her friend and Hamuko suddenly found herself along the bank of the Kamogawa River, eating crepes with him.

"A green tea crepe…" Ryoji studied the thin green pancake he held. "That color's a little off-putting." He took a bite and a bright smile appeared on his face. "Oh, but it's delicious." He shook his head. "You can't find this in Iwatodai," he said with a chuckle. "It makes me kind of happy."

"What makes you happy?" Hamuko asked.

"I'm having new experiences," the blue-eyed boy explained, "and I get to share them with you. That's what I enjoy so much." He let out a delightful laugh. He stared over the glimmering water and wore a gentle smile. "Hey, here's something I didn't know until Minato-kun told me. The light reflects off the river in a different way than it shines off of the ocean…" His eyes glowed as he continued to watch the river.

"Is it because it's flowing?" Hamuko tilted her head as she also noticed the unique way the light reflected off the river.

"Oh, that might be it…" Ryoji mused. "The water's on a journey, too," he said with strange seriousness. A serene smile appeared on his face. "I bet that must be fun." He remained silent for a moment before he looked around. "That reminds me, this place is filled with couples, too."

Hamuko took a look for herself and her eyes widened as he was once again right. "Huh… Would you look at that?" she smirked.

"They all look like they're having fun," her friend nodded. "What kind of things do lovers talk about?"

"No clue," the girl frowned as her hand automatically went to cover her watch.

"Is that so?" Ryoji noticed her change in disposition. "Does that mean you've never had a boyfriend?"

"I had someone once," Hamuko told him. "I wouldn't call him a proper boyfriend though because as soon as I came to love him, he left…" She frowned as she thought of Shinjiro. Hamuko couldn't help herself from shaking in grief and sadness.

"I see…" The boy frowned but he took a step closer to her. He put a comforting arm around her and gave the girl a hug. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko said with a soft smile. "He loved me too… I'm sure he's watching over me right now, hoping I'm happy. He doesn't have to worry though because I am happy. After all, I still have nii-san, our friends, and you." A bit surprised at her words, Ryoji intently stared at the brunette. Noticing his gaze, the red-eyed girl looked at him with worry. "What's the matter?"

Ryoji wore a frown as he began to mutter to himself. "Why you, I wonder…? Sure, you're nice, and pretty, but…" He shook his head. "I don't think it's that. It's just… you…" Realizing Hamuko was staring him in confusion, he quickly cleared his head. "Hey," he gave her a smile and Hamuko noticed it was a bit forced, "would you be willing to see me like this after we get back from the trip?" He paused as he considered the next few days. "Um… The day after we get back is the 22nd. It's a Sunday. I'd like to spend some more time with you…" he honestly told her.

"Okay," Hamuko said with a nod.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" Ryoji smiled. He sheepishly looked to his feet. "I was getting anxious about what I was going to do if you'd said no. Then, the 22nd it is! Don't forget." He happily laughed and noticed the breeze picking up. "It's starting to get chilly," he noted, pulling up his scarf. "I wonder if winter's just around the corner. Should we get going?" he turned towards Hamuko in concern. Hamuko nodded as the two walked towards the souvenir shops before returning to the inn.

* * *

Minato spotted Junpei waving over to him as he came down the stairs. "Junpei," the blue-haired boy nodded.

"S'up, Minato," the capped boy smirked to him. "Wanna check out the outdoor hot spring?"

"Sure," the blue-haired boy shrugged.

"Yeah, dawg!" Junpei cheered. "I'll get Akihiko-senpai and Ryoji, while you go back to your room and get ready."

"Alright, but are you sure we'll have enough—?" Minato tried to ask his friend about the hot spring timetable but Junpei was already gone. Minato sighed to himself as he went up to their room. _Oh well… I'll just ask him later. It's not like I can stay long in there anyways…_ He quickly got ready and was surprised to see Akihiko, Junpei, and Ryoji already in the water.

"About time you got here," Akihiko smirked at him. "Come and relax with us."

Minato shrugged as he sank into the relaxing waters. He let out a content sigh. "Two hot springs in a year… This is fantastic…" Curious about how the others felt about the trip, Minato glanced towards Akihiko. "Senpai, did you enjoy Kyoto?"

"To be honest, I was a bit too worried about Mitsuru to pay attention to what was going on for the first half of the trip," Akihiko replied. He let out a sigh of relief. "She seemed to have been doing better today though and we ended up having a good time on the tour."

"Eh?" the blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side. "You really care about Mitsuru-senpai…"

"Whoa!" Junpei's eyes widened before he smirked at their reliable upperclassman. "So are you two really…?"

"That would explain why she turned me down," Ryoji chuckled. "Another beautiful one taken…" he regretfully sighed.

"It's not like that," the boxer glared at them. "Mitsuru and I have known each other for a long time now. Of course I'd be worried. Anyways," Akihiko shook his head before turning towards Ryoji, "what did you think the best part of the trip was? I really liked the riverbank. It was a good jogging route."

"Oh, I liked that spot too," the junior said with a smile. "It was a rather romantic area to be in."

Junpei smirked. "Really? I liked the souvenir shops. I got something for Chidori…" he blushed. "Well," the capped boy frowned to himself. "We're having problems right now, but I won't give up on her."

Minato stared at his friend and gave him an encouraging smile. "That's good, Junpei."

"Anyways," the taller junior shrugged. "What about you, Minato? What'd you like best about Kyoto?"

The blue-haired boy sank further into the water. "What else?" he asked. "This hot spring is perfect…"

Ryoji chuckled as he sat next to the relaxed blue-haired boy. "Did you know that this hot spring is open to guys at certain times and girls at others?"

"No way, really?" Junpei smirked. "Then, there's a chance it could change to girls only while we're still bathing. But if that happens, there's nothing we can do about it. I mean, we're already here, right?"

"That's true," Ryoji nodded. "We couldn't be blamed if something like that were to happen." He turned towards Minato. "Don't you agree?"

"I'm not so sure," Minato weakly responded as he began to feel light-headed. _Aw man… I'm at my limit already?_

"Well, it's really just a hypothetical question," the other blue-eyed boy shrugged.

"Hey," Junpei frowned, "isn't it getting kinda hot in here?"

"Y-yeah…" Minato's vision began to blur. _So dizzy… but… it's so relaxing…_ Against his better judgment, the boy found himself chin-deep in the water.

Akihiko shook his head at the other two juniors. "So, Junpei, at what time does this hot-spring change from guys only to girls only?"

"Uh," Junpei wryly chuckled. "I'm not sure. I didn't bother to check." He smirked towards his raven-haired friend. "Right, Ryoji-kun?"

"Right," his cohort smiled. "But it could happen at any moment, couldn't it, Junpei-kun?"

"So that's why we came at this strange time?" Akihiko asked, standing up. "You two are such idiots!"

Junpei laughed. "Calm down, man. We're just joking! Although you're right about it being a weird time to be here. But, don't worry. It's pretty late. I doubt any girls would—" He paused when they heard the sound of moving water. "Shit!" he whispered. "Someone's here! What're we gonna do…?"

"It's probably just a guy," Akihiko muttered.

"Don't worry," Ryoji shook his head as he continued to smile. "This is simply a misunderstanding. We'll just act like we didn't know."

The three boys froze as they heard Yukari's voice in the distance. "Wow! This hot spring is huge!"

"Oh," Fuuka looked around as she saw how spacious it was. "You're right… It's the size of a swimming pool."

Aigis tilted her head to the side. "So, this is an outdoor hot spring. Unfortunately, its therapeutic healing benefits will not help me."

Hamuko smiled at the robot. "Well, at least you're not like nii-san," she said. "He's really sensitive to hot springs. If he's outside for too long…" She began laughing to herself. "Let's just say he becomes a bit intoxicated by the heat…"

"Dammit," Junpei whispered, "it's them… What're they doing here this late…?"

"Yes!" Ryoji tried to get a better look at the girls. "Both Yukari-san AND Fuuka-san! This is my lucky ni—ngh!" Junpei pulled him down and dunked his head under the water.

"Shut up, you idiot!" he hissed. "They'll hear you." He finally let Ryoji back up.

Hamuko and Yukari turned when they thought they heard splashing. Yukari frowned as she called out into the bath. "Who's that!? Is someone there!?"

"What's the matter, Yukari?" Mitsuru asked as she came outside to join them. "Did you see something?"

"Did you…" Yukari looked around, "hear that just now?"

"Hear what…?" the redhead frowned in confusion.

Akihiko tensed up. "M-mitsuru's here, too!? Oh, man." His body began shivering involuntarily despite being partially submerged in the hot spring. "There's no way she'll consider this just a 'misunderstanding'!"

"Yeah, but it's not like we could get expelled for this, right?" Junpei asked. "I mean, it was men only when we got here. So, it's actually kinda funny, if you think about it." He tried to let out a wry chuckle.

The older boy urgently shook his head. "This is Mitsuru we're talking about," he said, pure terror filling his eyes. "If she finds us, she'll…" He gulped as he looked around for an escape route or at least a place to hide. His eyes widened as he noticed someone was missing. _Wait… where'd Minato go…!?_

"What?" Junpei asked, now curious. "She'll what?"

"She'll execute us…!" Akihiko winced as he frantically searched for their missing friend.

Ryoji noticed himself beginning to shake. "E-execute us!?"

The boxer frowned as he scanned around them. _Seriously… where did he disappear to!?_ He saw bubbles coming up from under the water and fished the blue-haired boy up. His grey eyes widened he saw their leader completely incapacitated. "Oh no…" _What was that Hamuko was saying about her brother?_

The younger boy coughed and sputtered before letting out a shaky laugh. "Whee… Hot springs… spring rolls… Ahaha… Anyone else hungry?" His face was completely flushed and he didn't seem to be able to stand straight without wobbling back and forth. "Whoo! I want some ice cream!" He giggled to himself as he tried to leave, but Akihiko quickly grabbed his arm.

"Dude, is he drunk?" Junpei asked with a frown.

Ryoji sympathetically stared at Minato. "We've completely lost him…"

The three sane boys tensed up when they heard Fuuka speaking. "What about you, Hamuko-chan? Did you hear something…?"

Minato seemed to brighten at the girl's voice and tried to call out to her. "Fuu—" The boys quickly covered his mouth and shushed him.

Hamuko nodded as she thought she heard her brother's voice. "I heard it too!"

"You did, huh?" Yukari asked. "Fuuka," she pointed around the rocks, "could you check over there? I-it could be a ghost…"

Fuuka tensed up. "Um… but…" She glanced over towards the rocks. "I, uh… Okay…" She started towards the rocks. She paused for a moment. "I'm scared to look around by myself… Yukari-chan, will you look with me?"

Yukari sighed. "Okay, fine… Let's start on the right side," she waved for Hamuko to go with her. "Come with me, Hamuko…"

"Okay," Fuuka nodded. "Then I'll go around from the left.

Akihiko shook his head as he looked between Junpei, Ryoji, and the barely stable Minato he was holding onto. The senior sternly nodded at the two capable juniors. "We've got to hide," he hissed.

"Where!?" Junpei looked around.

Ryoji spotted a suitable hiding spot nearby. "Under the rock! There's a hollow space! Hurry!"

Akihiko and Junpei quickly followed him, but sighed when Minato remained where he was. They pulled him along too and when they were finally safe, they quickly covered Minato's mouth as he began to loudly sputter from getting the mini waterfall pouring down over his head.

"Keep quiet!" Akihiko scolded him as he pulled the younger boy away from the rock. "Do you want Mitsuru to execute us?"

"Mitsuru's cute…?" Minato goofily smirked. "I don't know about that, but my girlfriend's pretty cute… No wait…" His smile grew. "She's super cute! I'll show you!" He made his way towards the open area. "Fuu—" Junpei's hand was on his mouth and the blue-haired boy stared at the capped boy with confused, unfocused blue eyes.

Ryoji shook his head as he tried to get the intoxicated boy to settle down. "It's a game, Minato-kun," he whispered with a smile. "Hide-and-seek… We can't let the girls find us."

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh…" He put on a crooked smile as he nodded in understanding. "I get it… Okay…" He put a finger to his lips. "I'll be quiet…" He giggled before covering his own mouth. "This is fun…" The three other boys gulped as they heard Hamuko and Yukari approaching their hiding place. They kept a careful eye on Minato but noticed he was doing his best to control himself. "Oh…" he whispered with a small smile on his face. "Here they are!" He began shaking in anticipation of getting caught.

Yukari glanced around the area and shook her head when she didn't see anything. She paused when she considered something. "Oh, wait!" she turned towards Hamuko. "Could there be other guests in the bath, too? If that's the case, would we be causing trouble, walking around like this…?"

Hamuko frowned and called out into the empty bath. "Is someone here!?" There was no answer, but girl swore she could hear muffled laughter.

Yukari didn't seem to notice though. "I-I guess not…" she frowned. "Was it really a ghost…?" The archer quickly shook her head and let out a wry laugh. "Who am I kidding?" The two girls waded around the pool a bit more. "Hmm… I don't see anything particularly suspicious…"

Minato giggled again. "I think we're winning…" he happily whispered to the three nervously sweating boys.

Akihiko inwardly groaned. _Please let them leave soon…_

Hamuko checked the floating leaves and frowned. _I swear I can hear nii-san somewhere… I'd better find him before he gets himself into trouble…_ "Yukari?" she called out to her friend. "You see anything?"

"Nothing here…" the archer nervously replied. "I-I'm not scared, you know?"

"She totally is," Minato laughed. "Wah!"

Junpei dunked the annoying boy underwater, resulting in a loud splash. "Be quiet!"

Yukari let out a scream. "Wh-what was that? An animal?"

Hamuko turned towards the suspicious rocks. "A person, maybe?"

"But no one answered when I called out a second ago," Yukari shook her head. "Maybe I was just hearing things… Should we go check up on Fuuka?"

"Let's check ahead first," the red-eyed girl adamantly said.

"Wh-why, is there someplace over there that seems suspicious?" Yukari asked her.

Hamuko smirked as she pointed at the rock. "The hollow in that rock!"

"Really…?" Yukari sighed. "I was kinda deliberately avoiding that area… It feels like something might jump out… Wait a sec…" Yukari blinked as she and Hamuko approached the area. "Wouldn't that mean a person could hide there? Let's check it out!"

"Rawr!" Minato jumped out, startling the archer.

Yukari let out a scream and quickly slapped the blue-haired boy. "Huh!?"

The boy doubled over from laughter. "Oh man! That was great! You should have seen the look on your face, Yuka-tan! Ahahahah! Wahoo! You found us! Let's play again!"

Hamuko looked past her drunken brother and spotted Junpei, Akihiko, and Ryoji. "You three!" Her red eyes flashed dangerously causing them to tense up.

Fuuka arrived too and saw her boyfriend tightly holding his stomach as he couldn't stop laughing. The teal-haired girl didn't know what to make of the situation. "U-uh…"

"Fuuka-chan!" Minato excitedly ran towards her with his arms out. "You really are here! How about a hug?" He almost reached her but slipped and fell into the water.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko quickly checked on him to make sure he didn't hurt himself. The boy seemed fine though since he was still laughing his head off. She placed a hand on his forehead and noticed he was burning up. "You idiot! You know you're not supposed to stay in the water for too long!"

"Hamuko-chi!" Minato ignored her concerns and extended his arms out. "Give your brother a hug!" The younger twin sighed before slapping him, hoping it would bring him back to his senses. "Aw," he complained. "So no hug?"

 _He's this far gone!? I can't believe this…_ Ignoring his puppy-like whimpering, she quickly turned to the three other boys who allowed this to happen to the blue-haired junior. "You're in so much trouble!"

Junpei nervously smirked at her. "Uh, we, uh, um…"

Akihiko shook his head as Mitsuru spotted them. "W-wait!" he tried to explain. "Th-this is just a misunderstanding…!"

"Silence!" Mitsuru yelled.

"Uh-oh," Minato chuckled. "We're in bubbles now!" he said in a singsong voice before bursting out into another laughing fit. "Get it? Because we're in a bath? Bubbles and trouble!" The boys groaned as their completely oblivious friend laughed at the horrible joke.

"I'm going to execute you all!" The Student Council President exclaimed, her face livid.

"It was nice knowing you," Aigis shook her head at the four boys.

"A pleasure to meet you too, Ai-chan!" Minato bowed with a laugh.

Junpei pulled his cap down as he addressed Akihiko and Ryoji. "Well… it was an honor to stand beside you both…"

"I'm scared…" Ryoji whimpered.

Akihiko began to shiver as he pleadingly looked towards Mitsuru. "Please make it a quick end!"

* * *

~20 NOVEMBER 2009~

Minato woke up extremely sore and cold. He gingerly pressed his tender left cheek and winced. _Did I pass out in the hot spring?_ The blue-haired boy shrugged it off. _Well… at least the guys were nice enough to help me back to the room last night._ He finished packing his things and noticed his wallet wasn't where he had left it last. _Huh? Why am I missing some cash?_ He pulled out a receipt for a ridiculous amount of ice cream and frowned. _Um… It looks like I must have treated the guys after the bath last night… That probably might explain why I'm so cold…_ He violently sneezed and noticed he had a slight fever. _Jeez… Just how much ice cream did we have?_ Minato shook his head as he decided to head downstairs.

As soon as he reached the first floor, Toriumi began calling out to the waiting students. "Everyone remembers what time we're meeting at Kyoto Station, yes?" She glanced over towards Minato and saw the junior nod. "Then, please be on time," she reminded the students. "If any of you are late, I'm the one who will be blamed."

Minato nodded in understanding before spotting Ryoji, Junpei, and Akihiko seated in the hotel lobby, waiting for him. The three boys wore similar frowns on their faces. The blue-haired boy quickly approached them, confused by their long expressions. "Morning?"

"Oh, so you're finally up…" Akhiko nodded with a sigh of relief. "That's good… We were thinking you didn't make it after last night's execution."

"Execution?" the blue-haired boy knit his eyebrows together. "Wait… did something happen after I passed out?"

The boys looked up at him, surprised that he didn't remember their ordeal. "You're lucky…" Junpei sighed. "I'll never forget Kyoto… How could I after last night…?"

Akihiko remained silent, but nodded in agreement. Ryoji shuddered as he remembered their icy punishment. "That truly was an 'execution'…" the blue-eyed boy muttered.

"Just try to forget about it," Akihiko shook his head as he began shivering.

Minato shook his head. "I don't even know what happened…" He sneezed a few times before spotting the girls as they were coming down. "Morning," he nodded to them with a smile. Yukari, Fuuka, Aigis, and Hamuko stopped when they saw the now-sober boy greet them. They looked to each other before coming to a consensus to ignore him. As they began walking away, the boy tried to follow after them. "W-wait! What's going on? Fuuka?" He tried to speak to his girlfriend, but the teal-haired girl slapped him across the face. Afterwards, Yukari stomped on his foot before Hamuko punched him in the stomach for good measure. "Kgh…!" Minato doubled over from the pain as they walked away. "Seriously… What happened last night?" he groaned as he hobbled back to the other boys.

Junpei shook his head and sighed. "Looks like they're still pissed…" He looked up when he noticed Mitsuru coming down. The four boys looked towards her, but the Student Council President remained perfectly composed as she passed them without even looking in their direction. Junpei pulled his cap down. "Curse you, Kyoto…!"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

When the boys were finally kicked out of the hot spring, the girls tried once more to relax in the bath. Yukari frowned at Hamuko. "So… what was up with your brother? He'll be okay, right?"

The red-eyed girl sighed. "That's what happens when he stays in the hot spring for too long. It's like a 50-50 percent chance he'll either pass out or get intoxicated. He definitely won't remember anything that happened, but he should be fine after cooling down and going to sleep."

"That's good to know," Fuuka sighed in relief. She enjoyed the bath with them for a while longer until she frowned. "Doesn't the water seem a little hot? I'm beginning to feel faint…"

Mitsuru laughed. "It appears that Yamagishi's ability is ineffective when she's without clothing…"

"W-well, of course it is!" Fuuka cried with a blush.

Minato suddenly popped out of the water, surprising all of the girls. "But you're so beautiful without clothes, Fuuka-chan!" he exclaimed with a goofy smile on his face.

"Minato-kun!?" The teal-haired girl's face turned redder than a tomato.

"Didn't we kick you out?" Yukari asked.

"I got cold so came back," the boy pouted. "Ai-chan, let me in."

"Aigis!" Hamuko frowned at the robot.

"Minato-san's body temperature was extremely low," the blonde stated. "It is my duty to ensure he is healthy."

"Mitsuru-nee-chan," Minato complained to the senior, "you should really be careful with your Persona… It's really powerful!"

"Yuki," the senior's eyes flashed. "Get out of the hot spring this instant."

"But I'm cold," Minato whined as he submerged himself into the warm water. "Plus, Hamuko-chi's here. And Fuuka-chan too!" He threw his arms around both girls. "You both don't mind if I stay, right?" He brightened at a thought. "Oh! Oh!" He raised a hand as though he were in class. "Ai-chan! Who do you think has the best body measurements? Personally, I'm most attracted to Fuuka-chan!"

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka covered her face with her hands out of embarrassment.

Aigis blinked at the boy. "To be honest, I am rather surprised by the difference between human bodies. More specifically…"

"Aigis!" Yukari interrupted the robot. "Okay, that's enough." She pulled the blonde girl out of the water. "Let's go. I'll treat you to some ice cream."

The mechanical maiden nodded. "Ice cream would be quite useful. I require some cooling down."

Hamuko dunked her brother underwater before turning towards Mitsuru and Fuuka. "You should go with them. I'll take care of my brother."

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru frowned at her.

"Will he really be okay?" Fuuka worriedly asked as the boy began flailing.

"Yeah, we'll be alright. I've dealt with him like this before." Hamuko finally let her brother up for air and he began sputtering. "You should go before he recovers."

Mitsuru nodded as she and Fuuka quickly returned indoors. Minato pouted as he realized everyone else was gone. "Aw… where'd everybody go?" he asked as a sad frown appeared on his face.

"No idea," Hamuko sighed as she kept an eye on her excitable brother. "Hey, stay put! I don't want you causing any trouble."

Her brother ignored her as he looked around the empty bath. "Hm… Yuka-tan said something about ice cream, didn't she?" the boy asked himself. A bright smile appeared on his face. "I want some too! Ice cream after a hot spring is the best! I'll treat everyone! Let's go join them, Hamuko-chi!" Minato quickly tried to get out of the pool but his sister quickly restrained him. "Hey! Let go!" he whined.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko scolded him. "You can't go inside when they're changing!"

"Why not?" The boy brightly smiled at his sister. "I don't mind!"

"But they do!" she cried.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. They're all very beautiful girls, after all," Minato shrugged as he fought against Hamuko's grip. "And the two of us have seen each other without clothes before."

"Yeah, but that's only because we're twins! Nii-san! We're staying here until they're done!"

"No! I want to see Fuuka-chan!"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko sharply pulled on his arm but slipped backwards into the water. "Whoa!"

Minato laughed as the water splashed him. "I win!" the boy cheerfully exclaimed as he returned indoors. "Wahoo!"

"No, wait! Nii-san!" When Hamuko finally got back to her feet, she heard the other girls' surprised screams. "Ugh… Is he looking for another Execution!?" she asked nobody in particular.

Minato let out a whimper as Fuuka slapped him as hard as she could. "Fuuka-chan…" he whimpered. "That's not very nice… That hurt…" He paused as the air in the room suddenly chilled. "U-um… Yuka-tan… Mitsuru-nee-chan… What's with those looks?" He painfully screamed as both girls executed him with wind and ice.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** And I'm pretty sure they made Minato treat them to ice cream anyways... It's always much more fun getting caught and executed. I purposefully actually just walk towards them just to see the chaos. Poor Junpei in the movie... For some reason though, I kinda expected for him to lose his towel. Oh, something weird though... So Ryoji is there and Aigis isn't really hiding the fact that she's not human in this scene. Um... shouldn't he be questioning things? Also, if an Execution is Mitsuru encasing them in ice... Poor Ryoji getting caught up in something he has no business being in...


	43. Power Born from Love

**Author's Notes:** Congratulations, America. I can't believe we elected Donald J. Trump into presidency... I hope we're all satisfied with our mistake. Or I can be wrong and he can be the greatest president ever... Please let me be wrong... Anyways, a depressing chapter for a depressing day...

* * *

~21 NOVEMBER 2009~

Chidori sighed before frowning at her newly finished picture. "What am I drawing…?" she asked herself. "Why am I…?" The lights around her dimmed and she tensed up. "What the…?" She flinched as the windowpanes broke, tripping the hospital alarm.

A cold chuckle filled the room as the door slid open. "It has been a while…"

"That voice…" Chidori's eyes widened at the dark figure coming in.

Takaya smiled at her. "I am glad to see you once again…" He turned to his partner. "Jin, the instruments, if you would."

Jin walked over to the bed and opened his suitcase. He pulled out some familiar tools and placed them in front of Chidori. "Here," he nodded to the girl. He watched as Chidori only stared at the darkly shining gun before her. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what your Evoker looks like."

Chidori shakily lifted up her gun. Takaya tilted his head to the side as he studied her. "I trust you do not need to be restrained?"

"Takaya…" the girl frowned. _Junpei…_

"Surely you understand…" the shirtless young man shrugged and shook his head. "There is nowhere for you to go… You must come with us." He sternly looked at the girl. "Death is not to be feared. You need only fear—"

"Yes," Chidori nodded, "I know."

Takaya's smirk grew. "Excellent." He and Jin departed the room as Chidori quickly changed into her old clothes.

The red-haired girl tossed aside her sketchbook and stared at her Evoker. "It's all his fault…" she muttered to herself. "Since the day I met him, I've experienced nothing but pain… And I've become afraid of dying…"

Getting impatient, Jin called out to her from outside. "Hey, hurry up, Chidori."

Chidori lowered her head as she turned her back on her sketchbook. "Medea… Let's go."

* * *

~22 NOVEMBER 2009~

After their little trip to Kyoto, Hamuko and Minato continued with their Social Links with their friends. Thanks to Yukari, the twins were also finally able to get the Student Council President to open up to them, giving them access to the Empress Link. The older girl still had some reservations relying on them, but after only a few minutes of spending time with them, the heiress of the Kirijo Group finally understood what it was about the twins that drew people towards them.

"You're just as stubborn as nii-san is when it comes to responsibility, Mitsuru-senpai," Hamuko shook her head with a sigh. "You can't carry every burden alone."

"That's right," Minato sternly nodded. "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection," he crossed his arms.

"Minato?" Mitsuru stared at the junior in surprise.

"Isn't that the motto of the Kirijo Group?" Hamuko asked Mitsuru with a smirk.

"Hamuko…" The senior watched as the twins chuckled to themselves. Mitsuru finally cracked a smile as she understood what they were trying to convey to her. "Of course… The two of you have always been able to overcome every obstacle SEES has faced because you've always been together…" She lowered her gaze to the ground. "Despite being the one in charge of SEES, I suppose there is still much for me to learn from our leader and co-leader." The redhead nodded to herself in determination. "Very well. I will take my first step forward today in finding harmony. I request that you both instruct me on the proper etiquettes of dining in a ramen restaurant."

"Um… what?" Minato stared at the older girl in confusion.

Hamuko laughed though as she grabbed the Student Council President and her brother. "Leave it to us, Senpai!"

"Wait… we're really doing this?" her brother nervously asked.

Mitsuru enjoyed their company, but she finally also understood why Minato was always so wary around his sister. The senior never quite had a friend like Hamuko. The bouncy, energetic junior made every conversation lively, but never before had Mitsuru been so persistently pressed about her private life and thoughts. Hamuko relentlessly asked the redhead about what SEES was like during middle school and it ended up resulting in Mitsuru having to describe what Akihiko and Shinjiro were like in the past.

The brunette was adamant about taking the opportunity to understand the original SEES team better and after a while, Hamuko managed to complete the Star Link with Akihiko. The boxer also decided to give her a Rabbit Doll since it reminded him of the red-eyed girl. "You know, you really do remind me of Miki," he told her with a slight frown. "And Minato kinda reminds me of myself… To be honest though, I'm a bit jealous of your brother… He has the type of strength I want… and I definitely don't want him to end up like me or Shinji." The senior shook his head. "I'm tired of losing what's important. I have to work to protect what's precious to me. And that means everything precious…" The boxer wore a determined smirk. "I'm not your brother, but I know how devastated he'll be if anything ever happened to you. So from now on, I hope you don't mind if I see you as my little sister too. That said, you should know that if you're ever going through a hard time, I'll be there for you."

Hamuko gently smiled at the older boy as she accepted the doll. "Thanks… Aki-nii."

"Aki-nii?" His grey eyes widened before he wryly smirked to himself. "It's been a long time since I've had anyone call me that, but… I like the sound of it…"

"Good because as my older brother, I'm going to be teasing you from now on!" Hamuko laughed.

"Well, good luck with that," Akihiko smirked as he openly challenged her. "I'm not like Minato." He punched the air a few times to warm himself up. "There's nothing you can do to faze me!"

"Really?" the red-eyed girl evilly smiled. "So what do you think Mitsuru-senpai would say if she found me sitting here in your room?"

"You wouldn't dare…" the boxer said, face growing pale.

The junior only laughed at him as she sensed Helel appear before her. It would be a long while before she would be able to the test the Persona, but she was glad to have the seraph's blessing.

The next Social Link Hamuko completed was with Koromaru. The brunette was a bit surprised the albino alpha handed her a Dirty Collar, but the girl instantly cherished the offering. "Am I your master?" Hamuko knelt down and pet him. The dog whined a bit and shook his head. "I can hold onto it?" Koromaru happily barked and began licking her face. The girl fell backwards and laughed. "I love you too, boy… Don't worry… The priest is still watching over you. I know I can't see him anymore, but he'll always be with you." The girl hugged the dog. "Thanks for always being there for me too…" Koromaru licked her cheek once more.

When they returned from the shrine that night, Minato smirked as he sensed a change within the loyal dog. "So Koro's entrusting himself to us…" he muttered with a smile. The blue-haired boy cooked the pair a special meal and shook his head. "Strength is a lot of things," the older twin said as he sat next Koromaru and pet the happy dog eating from his bowl. "But true Strength is something you've always had, huh, Koromaru?" Minato laughed as the dog yipped in response.

As soon as Hamuko tested out Siegfried's power in Tartarus, the red-eyed girl sensed that her brother was also close to completing his own Strength Link with Yuko. After all of the hard work Minato and Yuko put into training the young fourth graders, the kids managed to achieve a stalemate with the sixth graders that they had challenged to a race. Minato was actually more proud that Yuko finally discovered something she could devote herself to though.

"You really did a great job with them," Minato told her as they went out for some celebratory coffee. "Between coaching them and taking care of Kaz, you really are dependable. I don't see how Ekoda could ever think that you're a slacker."

The Track Manager blushed at his words before frowning. "Well… I don't deserve all the credit you're giving me…" She lowered her gaze. "Back when Mr. Ekoda reprimanded me, I just wanted to graduate and go to a community college… But after coaching those kids, I started to realize something…" She brightly smiled at Minato. "I enjoy helping people who are willing to give it their all."

"Really?" Minato's eyes widened in mild surprise. "So… are you going to be an instructor?"

"Close!" Yuko smirked at him. "You've almost got it, Mr. ex-Assistant Coach." She laughed and shook her head. "I'm thinking of becoming an athletic trainer. You have to monitor each athlete's diet and help them plan their training schedule. I'll go to professional school once I graduate, and work towards earning my certification. Between the general education requirements and the classes for my major, it adds up to over 350 hours. That's why I'm gonna start studying right away." She smirked as she thought of what brought this change. "I learned a lot from those kids, but I also learned a lot from you too. So, thank you."

"Come on," Minato shook his head. "What did I do besides help you coach them?"

"You helped me find my true calling, Minato," Yuko continued to smile at him. She reached into her bag and took out a letter. "Oh! Before I forget, this is for you. The four of them each wrote something for us. They're kinda mouthy, but they have their moments…"

Minato opened up the Kids' Letter and smirked as he went through it. "Not really…" he shook his head. "They'll have to keep working if they intend to get stronger."

"Wow," the girl laughed, "you're tough to please… I bet you'll be a strict father when you have kids with Fuuka-san."

"H-huh!? What?" Minato blushed.

"But you'd also be a good dad too," she continued to laugh. "You're a really nice guy, Minato… Maybe if I didn't have Kaz and you didn't have Fuuka-san, I probably would have fallen for you."

"So… you like Kaz?" the blue-haired boy frowned.

Her face went red. "Well, someone has to watch over that idiot!" Yuko shook her head and chuckled. "But… I want to support him too. He told me the results of his surgery and I'll be there to help him with his rehab. It's strange but I feel that the two of us changed because of you. I'm so glad you joined the Track Team and met us…"

"I'm glad I've made such good friends, too," Minato nodded in agreement.

"Well, if you ever need help, we'll be there for you!" Yuko cheered him on. "No matter what happens, just give us the word and we'll support you too."

With Strength completely tamed, Minato moved onto finish another Social Link, this time with the Photography Club President Keisuke. The senior had been on the fence with wanting to become a doctor or pursue a study abroad program for photography, but after an incident where Minato nearly got a concussion, Keisuke knew he didn't want to just standby and let his important friend die. To the entire club's surprise, Keisuke announced that he was leaving the club and nominated Minato to take his place as Club President.

Fuuka looked at the curly-haired boy in surprise. "Wh-why? This is all so sudden…"

"I have to study for my entrance exams," Keisuke said with a smile. "I'm going to med school to become a doctor!" he confidently told them.

A male club member shook his head. "Did your dad tell you that you had to quit because you have to take over the hospital?"

The senior shook his head. "My dad doesn't have anything to do with this. I made the decision on my own." He laughed. "Anyways, that means I also won't be studying abroad. But since I'm beginning my studies so late, I'll have to pull all-nighters to make up for the time I've lost. I really enjoyed being your club leader." Keisuke bowed to them. "Thanks for all your hard work."

A girl in the club smirked as she whispered to the students around her. "He's definitely changed. It's like, he's someone you can depend on now."

"H-hey," Keisuke smirked as he heard her, "what's up with all the compliments?" He slyly winked to his successor. "Right, Minato-kun…?"

The blue-haired boy shrugged. "You're still the same to me, Senpai," the junior said, his tone light and humorous.

After the club ended though, Keisuke took Minato to the roof one last time. He wanted to give the junior his award letter. Noticing Minato's look of confusion, Keisuke explained himself. "Studying for the med school entrance exams is going to be hard, and this would only distract me…" He frowned as he realized something. "This will be the last time I ask you for a favor."

"Huh?" Minato looked up at him oddly. "What do you mean?"

"I'm always complaining to you and asking things of you but you never complained to me about it once…" Keisuke shook his head as he stared out over Iwatodai. "You're so much more mature than I am, Minato-kun… I want you to know that I really respect you." He frowned as he looked back at the blue-haired junior. "You're also strong… Toriumi-sensei told me about what happened to your parents. I can't even imagine that. My parents are always there for me. Maybe I take them for granted… But seeing you lying in the infirmary because of something I caused… It made me think of how it must feel to lose someone you're close to…"

Minato paused as he understood the pain and fear very well. "Yeah… It's hard… and it hurts…" He clenched his fists. "That's why I do all I can to protect the people important to me."

"Seeing your resolve makes me want to be able to do the same," Keisuke smiled at him. "You're an important person in my life and you have important people in your life too. If they died, you'd never be able to see them again… That goes for everyone in this world. If I think that way, I want to be able to help as many people as I can. So that's why I'm becoming a doctor." He nervously smirked at the junior. "D-does it seem like I'm showing off?"

Minato shook his head. "No, not really."

"Okay, good," the brunette sighed in relief. "I'm just trying to act more like a senpai." He shook his head and wryly laughed. "I feel like I just went around in a huge circle… But I'm not becoming a doctor just because my dad's a doctor… I'm becoming a doctor because that's what I want to do." He placed a hand on Minato's shoulder. "If you ever need an emergency operation, I'll perform the surgery. I won't let anything happen to you while I'm alive…"

Those sentiments carried over to Norn as Minato relied on the Persona for its regenerative abilities. When testing his power in Tartarus, everyone was surprised by their leader's new destructive wind spell, Panta Rhei. The Fortune Persona was a force to be reckoned with and Hamuko found herself considering her own progress with the Fortune Arcana.

The brunette had barely known Ryoji for a month, but somehow, she was starting to fall for the charming flirt. She couldn't quite understand it herself, but there was something about the raven-haired transfer student that was so familiar. She couldn't quite place what it was that gave her these feelings, but if Ryoji felt the same way, then maybe their meeting was fated. Whatever it was though, everyone was glad to see Hamuko able to cheerfully smile and laugh again. It was an expression they had missed from her ever since they had lost Shinjiro, so nobody was surprised when the red-eyed girl quickly left to Chagall Café to meet with the scarf-wearing junior for another date.

Ryoji let out a light chuckle as their drinks were finally brought out to them. "Going to Kyoto was fun," he told the girl sitting across from him. "Going out with everyone, seeing and eating so many different things…" He stared at his coffee cup and wore a small smile. "Then we'd go to bed and wake up and do it all over again the next day. It was amazing." He partially hid his face behind his scarf. "It was a lot of fun…"

"I had fun too," Hamuko nodded to him.

"Yeah," Ryoji brightened. "You were laughing a lot." He began merrily laughing before playing with a thin ring on his finger. "Did you see this?" he asked her, showing her the accessory. "I bought it at one of the souvenir shops."

"I didn't notice at all," the red-eyed girl tilted her head as she stared at it. "Why'd you get it?"

"I guess…" the blue-eyed boy fondly smiled at it, "it's proof of the fun memories I've made. I felt like I wanted a reminder of those times. And then I saw this in the store…" He tenderly caressed the ring as he continued. "Rings are mysterious… When you get used to wearing one, it's as natural as if you were born with it. At the same time, it feels constricting…" he frowned. "But when I look at it, it reminds me of the good times I had… I think that rings are things that bind memories to the people who wears them."

Hamuko fondly smiled as she played with her watch. "I think I get it."

Ryoji chuckled again and soon it became a peaceful laugh. "This is my treasure," he nodded as he let the ring alone. "I hope I'll get more and more treasures as life goes on… I'm sure that will be the case…" he looked up towards Hamuko, "if I'm with you…" He smiled happily at her and Hamuko grinned back at him. The boy immediately paused though and lowered his gaze from her red eyes. "Are you the one I've been waiting for all this time…?" he asked himself. "I know you… I feel like I've known you for a very long time…"

"I feel the same way, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko frowned. "I wonder why…" She continued to stare at the boy who resembled her brother before they decided to speak of other things.

* * *

A loud alarm blared throughout the dorm, jolting Minato awake. He sat up and looked around in confusion. "Fuuka?" he asked as he sensed Juno's presence upstairs.

 _"Minato-kun? Are you awake?"_ Fuuka's gentle voice entered his mind.

Minato quickly fumbled with his headset. "Y-yeah… I'm still trying to reorient myself."

 _"Sorry to wake you,"_ Fuuka apologized to him.

"It's fine…" Minato shook his head. He quickly grabbed his school uniform and put it on. "Is something wrong?"

 _"Um, I'm not sure how to say this, but…"_ the girl faltered but the urgency of the situation demanded their attention. _"You need to go to the 4_ _th_ _floor… and please hurry!"_

"I'll be there soon!" Minato told her, quickly straightening out his jacket. He blinked as he realized he was the last one to arrive to the command room.

When Yukari was sure everyone was present, she turned to the senior sitting at the control panel. "What's going on!?"

"Yamagishi sensed something!" Mitsuru nodded to the team. "Other Persona-users. They're outside Tartarus!"

"Other Persona-users…?" Ken frowned. "Don't tell me it's…"

"Strega," Akihiko nodded. "They're still alive."

"Those bastards…!" the young boy clenched his fists.

"First, the Dark Hour won't go away," Yukari frowned, "and now Strega is back!? What's happening!?"

Minato felt himself beginning to shake. _I had a feeling they weren't gone but just what are they up to now?_

"How many are there, Yamagishi?" Akihiko sternly asked.

 _"There's only one, but…"_ Fuuka looked over towards Junpei. _"I thought she was in the hospital…"_

Junpei tensed up at that. "Huh?"

Hamuko and Minato turned to the capped boy in concern. The younger twin gave her best friend a frown. "Junpei…?"

Minato was about to question his friend when he noticed Fuuka beginning to shake. "F-fuuka?"

His girlfriend winced. _"No… she's…"_

"Fuuka!" Minato hurried to her side. _Dammit… what's going on!?_

 _"She's inside…"_ The teal-haired girl clutched her head and screamed.

"What's wrong!?" Mitsuru asked, standing from her seat.

"Fuuka!" Minato tried to calling out to his girlfriend as she remained still inside her Persona. The girl opened her eyes but the boy noticed they weren't focused on him. He pressed his hands against Juno. "Fuuka! Are you okay!? I'm right here! Please say something!"

She didn't respond to him as she looked past the blue-haired boy, towards Junpei. _"Long time no see,"_ Fuuka spoke in a voice that wasn't her own.

The capped boy tensed up. "Chidori!?"

Mitsuru's eyes widened. "She's speaking through Yamagishi!?"

 _"I can't stand the sight of you all anymore…"_ Fuuka continued. _"So, I've decided to do something about it."_ She continued to stare straight at Junpei. _"Come to me…"_ Fuuka winced and Juno vanished. Minato quickly caught her as she collapsed into him. "Ngh…"

"Yamagishi!" Mitsuru watched in worry.

"Fuuka!" Minato tightly held her.

"I'm… all right…" the teal-haired girl tried to give her overprotective boyfriend a reassuring smile but felt him shaking. _Minato-kun?_

"Thank goodness you're safe…" he muttered under his breath as he refused to let her go.

Yukari frowned. "What the heck!? I thought she was…" The brunette turned towards the capped boy beside her, hoping he had some answers. "Junpei, do you know what's going on!?" He only lowered his gaze and remained silent. "Junpei!"

"No, dammit!" the tall junior snapped at her. "I have no idea!" He quickly turned towards the door. "Just leave me the hell alone!"

"J-junpei?" Yukari was surprised he ended up running off. "Junpei, wait!"

"This is most likely a trap," Mitsuru frowned. "But, we're dealing with Strega, so we must pursue this. And if we confront them, we may gain some insight into our current situation."

Minato took a deep breath before finally helping Fuuka up. "Then let's move out as soon as we can," he nodded to Mitsuru.

The teal-haired girl gave Minato's hand a comforting squeeze. "Please be careful," she told him. "I only sensed one person, but the other two may be nearby."

"Indeed…" Mitsuru nodded as she looked between the twins. "Minato, Hamuko. We have no idea what they're planning, so choose your allies wisely. We'll go after Iori once you've made your decision."

* * *

Junpei shook his head as he carefully approached Chidori as she stood at the top of the steps leading into Tartarus's lobby. The girl blankly stared at him as she tightened her grip around her weapon. The capped boy stood still and frowned. "Chidori!" he tried to call out to her. "What's going on!? Why are you doing this!?" He tried to take a few steps forward but watched her tense up. "It doesn't make any sense! I mean, I know I'm not that smart, and I've done a lot of stupid stuff…" He clenched his fists. "But, we shouldn't be fighting like this!" He approached her again.

"Junpei-kun!" Fuuka's voice called out from behind him. "Look out!"

Chidori swung her weapon at the capped boy and he dodged to the side. "Whoa…!" He glanced back towards the armed redhead and saw her frown.

"Tch…" Chidori sharply pulled on her chain to retrieve her hatchet.

"Junpei!" Hamuko stared at her best friend in worry as they all gathered behind him.

"Stand back!" Junpei held out his arm to stop them from coming any closer. He refused to look away from the girl before him. "Chidori…! Why!?"

Akihiko shook his head as he tried to get to his side. "Get back, Junpei! It's useless trying to reason with her!" Junpei ignored him as he inched closer towards Chidori.

"No!" Fuuka cried out. "It's too dangerous!" She paused as Minato grabbed her arm. "I know how you feel, Junpei-kun! But please, just back up!"

Minato tensed up as the redhead slowly pulled her Evoker up to her chin. "Junpei! Get back!"

"Medea…" Chidori muttered as she summoned her Persona.

Junpei flinched as the Persona tried to lunge at him, but another Persona wielding a fiery sword protected him. The junior felt someone pull him backwards. He landed on the ground and looked up to see Minato take a step forward. "You okay, Junpei?"

Hamuko lowered her Evoker as Surt disappeared. "We'll do our best to not hurt her, but you'd better stand back, Junpei!"

"You two…" Junpei frowned to himself and pulled his cap down. "Thanks…"

"Fuuka has your sword, so I'm counting on you to protect her," Minato told him. "Everyone else!" he called out to the team. "Let's move! Our only goal is to disarm her! Any injuries on her and you'll have to deal with me personally!"

"We hear you!" Yukari cried out as she armed herself with a toy bow.

Chidori shook her head as she watched the SEES members swarm her. "I don't belong here… I…" She raised her weapon. "I've always known that!" She threw her hatchet towards Minato only to have Hamuko deflect it with her naginata.

"That's not true!" Hamuko cried out as Medea appeared again. "Junpei really tried to reach out to you… Even when you were pushing him away!" The brunette summoned Surt to combat the other girl's Persona. "You can't turn your back on him now!"

Medea faded away as Chidori dodged all of Akihiko's punches. The senior finally managed to land a light blow on her arm, causing her to drop her weapon. His grey eyes widened though as she still had her Evoker. He dodged to the side to avoid the powerful fire spell she was trying to aim at him, dipping to the ground to pick up the dropped hatchet. As soon as he was safe though, Chidori slammed her Evoker against Akihiko and called for Medea to ram into him, sending him flying from the stairs.

Aigis quickly caught the boxer and carefully set him down. "Akihiko-san is badly hurt!" she called out to anyone who could heal him before casting Masukukaja and Marakukaja on the team.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru lifted her Evoker. She hesitated between healing the boxer and attacking the girl. She shook her head as she went with the former.

"Thanks!" Akihiko told her as he tried to get back to his feet. "Minato!" He tossed the chained hatchet he had to their weapons master.

Yukari used Garudyne to dispel Medea and the powerful gust knocked Chidori back against a wall. The redhead watched Ken charge towards her and quickly pushed his weapon aside, making him lose his balance. She fired her Evoker again, but her Agidyne was intercepted by Koromaru. She cast a spell on herself and watched as Koromaru tried to attack her, only to have his strike rebound on himself. The dog whimpered as Ken tried to reach him.

"Koromaru!" The young boy cast a healing spell but left himself completely open.

Chidori lifted her Evoker again but a chain quickly wrapped around her arm, binding her. She glanced over towards Minato and glared at him for using her own weapon against her. "Ken!" the blue-haired boy called out. "Get Koromaru to safety now! Everyone else, stand your ground! I've got this!" He sharply tugged on the chain to pull the girl towards him.

"Takaya was right…" Chidori scowled at him. "You're a nuisance!" She worked to free herself and managed to get her Evoker in position to fire it once more.

Minato let out a roar as he wouldn't allow her the chance to use it against him. "Give it here!" he called out as he tackled into her. They fell to the ground as the boy struggled to take the Evoker away from her.

"Why aren't you fighting seriously?" Chidori glared at him as she finally freed her arm from the chains. "You do realize I intend to kill you!" She slammed the hatchet into the ground, barely missing Minato's head.

"You're important to Junpei…" Minato let out a wry laugh as he tossed aside the weapon so it was out of their reach. "I told you before… It's only because of him that I'm holding back!"

"Nii-san, look out!" Hamuko ran towards them, but was too late as Minato and Chidori tumbled down the stairs.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka winced as the blue-haired boy purposefully made sure he was the one falling over each step.

"I'm okay!" the SEES leader called out as he slowly rose to his feet. Minato triumphantly smirked at the Evoker in his hand and looked towards Chidori. "We both are…" He offered the girl his hand to help her up, but she slapped his arm away.

"Why!?" the redhead shook her head as she tried to get up on her own. "Why won't you leave me alone!? I just don't get it, Junpei…" She dropped to her knees, prompting Junpei to run to her side. Minato slowly backed away to give them both some space.

"Chidori!" Junpei cried out. Without thinking, he gently held her up.

"I told you…" Chidori shook her head. "Don't touch me…"

He refused to let her go though. "Chidori, please…" the capped boy looked into her eyes. "Tell me why you're doing this…"

Chidori hesitated when she noticed the pain on Junpei's face. She quickly lowered her head as she felt torn over whether to remain in his arms or push him away. "What I fear most isn't death," she shakily began. "What I fear most is… attachment." She glanced up towards Minato and noticed Fuuka had reached his side. "Once I become attached to something, I fear that I will lose it. That's why we only live for the moment…" She sadly glared at Junpei. "But you… you brought me pain… Pain that I didn't want… Pain that I never asked for…"

"Huh…" Junpei frowned.

"When I'm with you, Junpei, I fear everything…" The girl finally worked up the courage to look into the boy's grey eyes again. "I fear loss… I fear death… I fear that my time with you will end…" She sensed the cold dread of Death that was always present around her. "That's why I…" Her eyes widened as she felt another presence around them, resulting in a gasp.

"Chidori…?" Junpei's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

Minato felt Fuuka tense up beside him. "Fuuka…?"

The SEES navigator looked around them in worry. "I'm sensing…"

"What?" Mitsuru turned towards the teal-haired girl. "What is it?"

"It's the others from Strega!" Fuuka warned them.

Takaya sighed as he emerged from inside Tartarus with Jin beside him. He glanced over towards Minato and watched as the SEES swordsman visibly tensed up.

Ken scowled at the two renegade Persona-users. "So then…"

"There you are, you sons of bitches!" Akihiko glared at them.

Takaya ignored them all as he looked down on Chidori with a regretful expression on his face. "Chidori… I see that it is too late. You've been poisoned by them…"

"What the hell does that mean, you friggin' ghost!?" Junpei blew up at the shirtless young man.

This only resulted in the Strega leader laughing. "I am no ghost… Fate permitted me to live, even though I wasn't attached to life…" A maniacal smile appeared on his face. "You might say I was… chosen."

A chill went down Minato's spine. _Chosen…?_ _For what? Is this more on the Fall? Do they know something?_

Junpei's shouting managed to pull Minato out of his reverie. "You bastard…" The capped junior tightened his hold around Chidori. "I've made up my mind! I won't let you do this to her anymore! I'll protect Chidori with my life!" He looked down at the girl in his arms. "Chidori, don't stay with them! Come with me!"

Takaya pulled out his revolver and laughed. Akihiko's eyes widened as he tried to reach out for his friend. "Look out, Junpei!"

Junpei stood up just as Takaya fired. The junior's eyes widened as he looked down at his chest. "Huh…?" He put a hand to his wound before dropping to the ground.

From where she sat, Chidori's face fell as she stared up at the boy slumping over. "Jun…pei…"

Hamuko let out a sharp gasp as she stared at her best friend's limp body. "Junpei!"

"Nooooo!" Fuuka screamed.

"Junpei!" Minato stared at his friend in disbelief before he began to shake in anger. He quickly picked up his friend's heavy sword and charged at the two Strega members. "Takaya!" he furiously roared.

* * *

Junpei opened his eyes and found himself lying in a hospital bed. He looked over to the side and smiled at Chidori as she sat in a chair beside him. The capped boy paused though as something wasn't quite right.

Chidori gently smiled at him. "I'm so happy you're awake…"

He quickly bolted up into a sitting position. "Chidori…?" He looked down at his chest. "Huh…? I-I thought I was …"

The girl took his hand and frowned. "I… I was wrong… I was scared… and I blamed you for my heartache," she sadly apologized to him. "I never felt that way before I met you, Junpei… And for the first time in my life, I… I realized what I wanted…"

"And, what is that?" Junpei asked her.

"I… I want to be with you, Junpei," she said, staring into his eyes. "Forever."

The junior felt his face growing warm. "I, um, I…" He relaxed a bit. "I want to be with you, too…"

"But, it could never last…" Chidori lowered her gaze. "I'm different from you… Since the moment I gained my power, I've known the day I was going to die."

"What…!?" Junpei's eyes widened.

"Knowing that scared me…" the girl admitted to him, "because I had never really thought about dying… And it made me realize that I wouldn't be with you anymore…" She reached for his other hand.

"Chidori…" Junpei frowned.

"That's why this is how it should be…" Chidori told him with determination. The capped boy looked at her in surprise as he remembered those words were spoken by someone once before. "You can't die here, Junpei," the girl adamantly stated.

"Die…?" Junpei noticed a flash of light erupt around him, blinding him. "Huh!?" His vision slowly cleared and he noticed Chidori and the rest of SEES gathered around him. "Ah!"

"Junpei-kun!" Fuuka's face immediately brightened as Medea disappeared.

Yukari was smiling too. "Junpei!"

Hamuko let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… Junpei…"

The capped boy didn't know what was going on as he looked up at Chidori. "I…"

The red-haired girl smiled at him. "It worked…"

"She revived him…" Akihiko said in awe. "I can't believe it."

Fuuka nodded. "Her power is the opposite of mine. Her Persona doesn't sense life; it emits life…" She frowned as she sensed the cost that would have to be paid for Chidori's wish. "But, in order to revive a person, she must…" The teal-haired girl couldn't bring herself to say anymore.

Chidori suddenly fell into Junpei's lap, causing him to hold her in worry. "Chidori!"

"I can hear the life pulsing through you…" the girl smiled up at him, chuckling. She fondly placed a hand over Junpei's beating heart.

"Huh…?" The boy could feel the tears beginning to well up.

"Now I will live inside you," Chidori nodded to him, "and we'll be together… forever."

"Wh-what're you saying…!?" Junpei shook his head. "Chidori… Chidori!"

"I'll protect you, Junpei…" the girl continued to smile at him, "always…"

"I-I'll protect you too!" the boy cried out. "Please… don't go!"

She held up her hand and the boy quickly clasped it. "It feels so nice to be with you…"

"Chidori…!" Junpei choked back a sob.

"Thank you…" Chidori weakly said. "Jun…pei… I love you…" Her hand went limp as it dropped to the floor.

The capped boy held her close to him and began shaking. "This can't be happening… Chidori… Chidori, answer me…" He clenched his teeth. "Chidori…!" He let out an agonized wail.

Minato slightly turned his head away from his opponent. "N-no way… She didn't…" the blue-haired boy frowned to himself. _This wasn't supposed to happen again…_

Takaya used the swordsman's opening to strike him to the ground before looking up at the scene before him. "What a pity…" he sighed as he kicked Minato away from him. "Such a meaningless death…"

"Meaningless…!?" Junpei angrily asked. He gently set Chidori's body onto the ground and stood to face the shirtless boy.

"Hm?" Takaya tilted his head to the side.

Junpei let out an angry scream as he summoned his Persona. _"Thou art I,"_ Hermes declared as another Persona emerged at his side.

"Medea!?" Jin's eyes widened in confusion.

The two Personas merged into one. _"And I am thou. From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Trismegistus, the Thrice-Greatest God. Behold the power born from the love in your heart."_

"Burn in Hell!" Junpei roared.

Takaya watched as the new Persona unleashed a powerful blast of fire towards him. "What!?"

Jin quickly intercepted the attack but was knocked back. "Gah!"

Junpei shook his head as he gasped. "I refuse to… ugh…" He dropped to his knees as everyone else gathered around him.

"Junpei!" Akihiko knelt by his side.

"My…" Takaya shook his head. "That was quite a spectacle. Now, allow me to reciprocate." He pulled out his revolver but Jin grabbed his other arm.

"Takaya, don't!"

"Wh-what is the meaning of this!?" Takaya grunted as he tried to pull his arm free from his friend. "Release me!"

"Don't forget about your mission!" Jin scolded him. He nodded towards Minato, who was beginning to pick himself back up. "This is just a waste of energy!"

Takaya's gold eyes widened and he nodded. Strega watched as the SEES leader was back on his feet. Minato spat out some blood and shook his head. "D-damn you… You just lost your friend… Don't you even care!?"

The shirtless Strega member shrugged. "As I said before, it was a meaningless death. If she had never been poisoned by you, she would still be alive. You of all people should understand, Minato Yuki. You're the same as us after all…"

"Like hell I am!" the junior furiously cried out. "Chidori loved Junpei…" His blue eyes flashed with anger as they filled with hot tears. "She gave up her life for him! She died for him! Trismegistus is proof of that! I won't let you trample over that bond!" He charged at Takaya once more only to have his enemy dodge his heavy sword.

Takaya sighed as he was getting tired of dealing with the fury-blinded swordsman. He punched the younger boy in the stomach and slammed his revolver against Minato's head. When the SEES fighter staggered a bit, he pointed the gun at the blue-haired boy. "You are a remarkable fighter, but your emotions blind you," Takaya shook his head. "I would eliminate you now, but I have something much greater to accomplish… And since you have no means of destroying the Dark Hour, I will let you be…" Takaya swiftly kicked Minato back towards the rest of SEES, "for now." He grandly stowed away his weapon before laughing at the team. "But know that the day I shall finish this is soon approaching." Takaya nodded to Jin and his partner immediately threw out a smoke bomb.

"Wait!" Junpei called out.

"Stop!" Akihiko pulled on the junior's arm.

"Let go! I…" Junpei stumbled to the floor.

"She entrusted you with this life!" the boxer scolded him. "Don't waste it."

Junpei clenched his fist at that. He slowly turned back to face Chidori as tears fell from his eyes. "Chidori… Chidori, I…" He closed his eyes. "I… This is so hard… But… It's not just my life anymore…" The capped boy began to cry.

"Junpei…" Yukari frowned at the ground.

Hamuko placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Junpei…" she gently rubbed his back. "It'll be alright… Chidori will always be with you…"

"That's right…" the capped junior tried to laugh, but a sob came out instead. He put a hand on his heart as his new Persona beat within him. "Chidori…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Poor, poor Junpei... I really like his side story. He grew up so much... The movie ruined it a bit since I feel it lacked depth. They only give us what, one or two scenes of Junpei and Chidori actually interacting before killing her off? Junpei never even got a chance to give her the souvenir he bought for her in Kyoto... But I guess it's time for me to focus on the other Social Links. Let's see... Akihiko seems to be the 'default' lover for Hamuko but I'm not all that attracted to him. He's handsome but other than that, I kinda see him like I see Yukari. At least he's not forced down my throat. Koromaru is Koromaru. Who can dislike him? It's too bad he doesn't really have much bearing on the plot except for when he kinda attacks Ikutsuki. Yuko... I didn't see her Social Link romantically cuz I thought she was dating Kaz. Unlike Rio and Kenji, I actually see Yuko and Kaz ending up together eventually. She was pretty cool though. As for Keisuke, I kinda always had the impression that he was a bit spoiled. He has the resources and talent to do whatever he wanted but he kept blaming his dad for his own indecisiveness... Hrm... That's all for now. I'm kinda sick so sorry if my thoughts were harsh or jumbled. Election results don't really help much... so yeah.


	44. That Which is Beautiful Is Also Painful

**Author's Notes:** Still kinda sick... Oh, but it's one week left until the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon. I'm getting Moon since I usually get the version whose mascot has more of a type advantage over the other. Plus, it's a moon bat! I can't wait to pick out Rowlet and go on an adventure! Hopefully, Decidueye can learn Fly though... I think its Grass/Ghost typing is pretty cool, but the main draw of me picking Rowlet was the fact that it was an owl. My absolute favorite Pokemon is Charizard and one the main reasons is because I love having a starter than can fly...

* * *

~27 NOVEMBER 2009~

For next week, the entire dorm committed themselves to the Career Experience program at the high school. The menial work helped to distract them from Chidori's tragedy, but nobody really knew how to help Junpei. The only person who could attempt to try was Hamuko, but even she couldn't get through to her best friend.

"This isn't the same as what happened with Shinjiro-san," Junpei sighed.

"No, but she wouldn't want you moping around, Junpei," Hamuko frowned at him. "I know it hurts… but she loved you…"

"Shinjiro-san loved you too," the capped boy glumly stated. "If they loved us so much, why did they leave us behind?" He didn't even give her a chance to answer as he locked himself away in his room, determined to skip as much of Career Experience as possible.

On the last day though, Hamuko noticed Junpei returning to the dorm alone. She was about to chase after him, but Ryoji urgently invited her out for coffee.

"I'm sorry to call you over without warning," Ryoji began as they took a seat in the café. "Am I interrupting anything important?"

"I'm all right," Hamuko reassured him. "But I can't say the same about Junpei…"

"I see…" the boy sighed. He frowned as he wondered what was wrong with their friend. "I was in the same group as Junpei-kun, but he never showed up at the beginning. He only came on one of the days because the teacher said that he had to… Something seemed really strange about him, though…" His blue eyes shone in worry as he looked up at the girl. "I'd talk to him, but he didn't seem like he was listening at all. He looked like he was about to cry… Did something happen?"

"He lost someone precious…" Hamuko frowned.

"Oh," Ryoji frowned and lowered his head. He was silent for a moment before he shook his head. "People… die," he plainly stated, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "I think that's something you just have to accept." He clenched his fists. "Do you think I'm being too cold?"

"A little," the brunette answered as the boy sadly hung his head. "It's true… but it doesn't stop the pain, Ryoji-kun…"

Ryoji nodded in understanding. "Junpei-kun is someone I care about. That's why I'm worried. I've never seen him this way before… I wonder… if there's anything I can do."

"I'm worried too," the red-eyed girl sighed. "Everyone is… I'm sure we all want to help, but… like you said… People die…" Hamuko clenched her fists.

The boy shook his head at her words. "I don't like hearing you say those words either…" He paused as he had another strange sense of déjà vu. "Huh? 'People die…' I have a feeling like I've heard that somewhere. Wait… Was it something I said before?" Hamuko studied his pained expression. "I think it was to someone very precious to me too…" The two were quiet as they finished their coffee.

* * *

~28 NOVEMBER 2009~

Mitsuru called the entire dorm together once they returned from the day's activities. Everybody except Junpei was gathered around the table as she considered what to do with the sketchbook before her. She glanced up when she saw Junpei enter the room. "Iori…"

Akihiko studied the capped boy and stood up. "Cheer up, Junpei…"

"Yeah…" the junior didn't lift his head.

"Junpei," Hamuko pulled on her best friend's arm. "Come over here… We're having a meeting. We can't start without you."

"So, whaddya want?" Junpei asked as he took a seat.

Mitsuru slid the sketchbook towards him. "This came for you," she told him. "It's from the hospital."

"That's…" His eyes widened. "Is this… Chidori's sketchbook?"

"They were going through her items when they found that," the redhead nodded to him.

"Oh… Um…" Junpei gingerly picked it up. "I know I have to snap out of this," he said as he felt the urge to cry, "but it's just so hard…"

"Hang in there, Junpei," Minato sympathetically watched his friend.

"I know how you feel…" Hamuko placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. Junpei lowered his head as he ran his hand over Chidori's last possession.

Yukari frowned as her classmate just stared at the sketchbook. "Hey, Junpei," she began, "can I take a look?"

The boy handed it over to her since it really didn't make a difference if anyone looked through it. "You wouldn't be able to understand her drawings anyways…" he frowned.

The archer opened up the cover and her eyes widened at the first picture she saw. "Wait, is this…?"

Fuuka stood at her side and smiled. "Wow, it's really good..."

Yukari shook her head before looking back at Junpei. "This is amazing… Who wouldn't be able to understand it?"

Junpei knit his eyebrows together as both girls pushed the sketchbook back towards him. He took a closer look at the picture and was surprised at what he saw. "Huh? Is this…!?"

Aigis nodded. "It's a detailed portrait of Junpei-san."

He fervently began flipping through the pages and Yukari smiled at each picture. "The next page… and the next… Every page is devoted to Junpei…"

Hamuko noticed her best friend beginning to shake as he put his head down on the picture. "Junpei!" she worriedly rubbed his back.

"Chidori…" the capped junior began to sob.

"Junpei…" Akihiko frowned as Ken and Koromaru stood at Junpei's side to help cheer him up. Koromaru whimpered and Junpei placed a hand on the dog's head before standing up.

"It's like she's telling me to stop moping around…" Junpei wryly smiled.

Fuuka nodded. "She must be looking out for you…"

"That's right," Minato nodded. "She loved you, Junpei. Her life is yours now and you can't waste it." Koromaru barked in agreement.

Junpei stared at the blue-haired boy for a while before standing up and approaching him. "Hey… Minato…" He put his hand out. "I promise to fight to get rid of the Dark Hour. I'm usually just lookin' out for number one. So it's been hard for me sometimes to accept that you're our leader, but…" he faltered at bit. _You were the one who pushed to keep going after her…_

"Junpei…" Minato stared at him in mild surprise.

"I'm sorry for all the times I snapped at you…" Junpei told him. "It still bothers me a little… But, I want you to know… that I'm counting on your abilities. I got nothin' but faith in your skills."

The blue-haired boy studied Junpei's face and saw that the junior stared back at him expectantly. Minato put on a small smile before taking Junpei's hand and shaking it. "I'm counting on you, too," he said, "Junpei."

"Glad to hear it." The capped boy smiled. "Let's keep on rocking together… Leader."

Yukari watched the two boys smirk to each other. "Junpei…"

Hamuko glanced at everyone and noticed their smiles. A few had tears in their eyes but it wasn't as though she could tease them. She wiped up her own face before flashing her brother a smile as he nodded to her. They were still a team and no matter what they faced, they'd do it together.

* * *

~29 NOVEMBER 2009~

Hamuko answered her phone. "Hello?"

The girl almost mistook the caller for her brother. "Hello, this is Ryoji Mochizuki. This is Hamuko-chan, right?"

"Oh, Ryoji-kun! Sorry… You sounded like someone else," Hamuko frowned to herself. "Um… Never mind that. Did you need something?"

"Do you have some time to spare?" he asked.

She glanced at her calendar and watch. "It's okay."

The boy let out a sigh of relief. "Why don't we go out somewhere? The weather's great."

"Sure," Hamuko smiled.

"That's great!" Ryoji's voice brightened. "Just thinking about seeing you makes me happy. I'll head over immediately."

Ryoji arrived rather quickly and although Hamuko had no idea where they were headed, she was surprised when she found themselves in front of the school gates. She smirked as they climbed over and quietly made their way to the rooftop. The brunette laughed as they enjoyed the view of the city.

"I wonder if we'll get in trouble if someone finds us," Ryoji mused as he looked around the desolate school grounds.

"We'll just have to not be seen," Hamuko smirked.

Ryoji laughed at that. "I see. You're an interesting person." He gently laughed before stepping closer to her side. After a moment of silence, a sad frown made its way to his face. "When I'm alone… I don't feel right. I think… I'm scared." He hid his expression behind his scarf. "The fact that tomorrow will come… scares me…" He shook his head. "But I can't figure out why…" He urgently turned towards Hamuko. "Hey… I-I… I'm…"

"You're Ryoji," Hamuko calmly stared into his blue eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. She gently took his hand in hers and saw him visibly relax.

"Hearing my name from your lips makes it sound so wonderful…" he softly said as he held her hand. "Thank you." He gave her a warm smile before sadly looking at her. "I… don't want to lose you. Because you're important to me…" His eyes shifted to the side, away from her. "That's probably why I'm scared. You're… the only one there is for me. The only one I want… So please, stay with me."

Hamuko felt her heart skip a few beats but she didn't quite understand why. "Ryoji-kun…" She hesitated a bit but noticed she shared his feelings. "Okay," she told him as she hugged him.

"Hamuko-chan…" Ryoji was a bit surprised by her embrace but he wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah… Thanks." He buried his face into her shoulder before whispering into her ear. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me… More precious than my own life."

Hamuko blushed at that as he happily laughed. She paused as this feeling felt strangely familiar. _This isn't how I felt when I was with Shinji-kun… It's similar but… Ryoji-kun is a bit like someone else I love… But who…? Minato?_ She was pulled out of her thoughts when Ryoji let her go and pointed out towards the glittering water.

"Hamuko-chan, look," he happily smiled at her. "The ocean's glimmering." He paused and frowned to himself. "Why does it hurt when I see things that are so beautiful…? It's so strange…"

 _No… He's not Minato… He's Ryoji… Ryoji Mochizuki…_ Hamuko leaned against him so that the sensitive junior would be distracted from his fears. _But why is that I feel like I'm with my brother…?_

* * *

~30 NOVEMBER 2009~

Minato and Hamuko stared at the crystal ball as Den Mother began to speak. "The answer and the secret to life are passed on, one life to the next…" Junpei's and Chidori's silhouettes appeared before Chidori faded into Junpei. "Two lights now pierce through the shadow…" The lone boy cast two shadows, one resembling Hermes while the other looked like Medea. "The hour draws near…" The woman looked up at the twins as the visions began to fade away. "How do you fare…?" She smiled at the two as she could sense their resolve.

"The hour draws near," Minato repeated with a frown.

Hamuko noticed her brother's pensive expression and quickly gave the fortune teller a nod. "Thanks for your time," she said, standing up. She lightly pulled on Minato's arm and he followed after her.

"Farewell, then…" the woman waved to them. "May your futures be bright…"

On their way back to the dorm, the brunette eyed her older twin in concern. "Nii-san? Have you been sleeping well lately?" She pointed at the dark rings under his eyes. "You seem tired."

"My insomnia's back," he muttered as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Really?" Hamuko stared at him. "Do you need me to stay in your room to watch after you? Or maybe you can ask a doctor for some sleeping pills…"

The blue-haired boy shook his head. "Falling asleep isn't hard… It's the staying asleep part that's giving me trouble," he told her. "I've been having nightmares lately… Ever since what happened to Chidori…"

"What are they about?" she asked him.

"It depends…" he scowled. "But most of the time, it's of a Shadow that kind of resembles Thanatos tearing everyone but us apart." The older brother couldn't help but tremble. "There's so much blood and screaming… Even when I wake up, the sensations persist…" He began to hyperventilate.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko reached out towards her brother and firmly held onto his arm. It's been a while since he was this vulnerable, but for some reason, there was something about the boy that wasn't himself and it scared Hamuko to see him this way. "I'm right here, Minato. You're fine. Everyone is safe." The boy clenched his teeth together. "Look at me, Minato." Her older brother slowly raised his head towards her. She took a deep breath before trying to calm him. "It's just a nightmare… Nothing bad will happen. The Reapers are gone and I know you'll find a way to end the Dark Hour. Everybody believes in you and your abilities. _I_ believe in you."

The blue-eyed boy blinked as he managed to calm down. "Thanks, sis… I needed that." He frowned as he considered something else. "You know… I don't really feel like myself…" He placed a hand over his heart. "It's like without the Reapers, a part of me is missing. Am I still me?"

"You're Minato," his younger sister reassuringly told him. She paused as she remembered having to do the same with Ryoji. _Why is it that it's getting more difficult to tell them apart?_ "You're my twin brother…" she softly told him with a smile.

He stopped walking. "Hamuko?"

"What?" She paused as she continued to stare at him.

"Do you remember our conversation from before? How you said you'd date me if we weren't twins?"

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded, "but that was just a silly conversation we were having."

"It's not silly," Minato frowned, "if I feel the same way…"

"Nii-san?" The red-eyed girl blinked at him in surprise.

"I'm sorry…" he sighed. "We're twins. We've always been twins… The love between us could never amount to anything more than that, but it hurts, Hamuko…" He placed a hand over his heart. "I know I also have Fuuka and I love her so much… But… I don't feel this pain around her… So why is it that I'm only worried about you…?" Minato clenched his fists. "This feels wrong…"

"Nii-san…" Hamuko gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay… I understand. You're the most important guy in my life after all, even if I'm not the most important girl in your life."

"Hamuko…?" Minato stared at her with wide blue eyes.

The brunette wryly smiled. "This doesn't change anything between us. We were both born together and that's miracle enough, isn't it?"

"A miracle?" her brother smirked at that. "I guess that makes it a little better." He blinked as he didn't think Hamuko could come up with that on her own. "So who gave you an idea like that?"

"Ryoji-kun," Hamuko blushed. "He's a lot like you, but less problematic. He's also a bit of a romantic."

"Huh…" Minato frowned.

"Nii-san, you said you'd accept anyone I go out with," she sternly reminded him.

"I know, I know," he rolled his eyes. "I just didn't think he'd be your type." He crossed his arms. "Actually, do you even have a type?"

The brunette ended up laughing. "I guess I'm attracted to lonely guys…" she said, shaking her head. "Shinji-kun, Ryoji-kun, and you… You're all so kind… but very lonely… I could never leave you alone…"

"So I had nothing to worry about after all," Minato sighed to himself. "I entrust you to Ryoji then." He made a face. "That's weird to say…"

"It's only because you have attachment and abandonment issues," Hamuko dryly quipped.

"I guess that's what makes me so problematic," he shrugged. "Given our history, it's not like I can help it…"

"Well, you should at least try," Hamuko pouted. "Fuuka-chan loves you too. You shouldn't make her worry so much."

"Problematic or not, she'd worry about me anyways," Minato smirked. "And I am trying! It's just…" he chuckled, "old habits die hard…"

"I noticed," she sighed as they finally arrived back at the dorm. As she opened the door, she paused when she heard a laugh come from inside that resembled her brother's. "Ryoji-kun?"

Fuuka smiled at the twins as they came inside. "Oh, welcome back."

"Hey, Fuuka," Minato nodded to her with a smile. "What's going on?" He looked around the lounge to see Ryoji getting up from the dining table.

"You're late," his girlfriend giggled to the blue-haired junior. "Ryoji-kun was just leaving."

Junpei waved goodbye to the raven-haired boy. "See ya later, Ryoji! And hey," he winked, "stop freaking out about your exams. I didn't study either."

Yukari sighed and shook her head at the simpleton. "But then again, you never do…"

Minato laughed and Hamuko paused as she thought it came from Ryoji. She turned towards her brother to see him smirking at the juniors in the dining area. "I'm sure you'll do better than Junpei, Ryoji."

Finally noticing that Minato returned, Ryoji smiled back at him. "Oh, hi. What's up? Studying?"

Minato shrugged. "I just got back."

"You know," Ryoji tilted his head to the side, "I'm here a lot, but I hardly ever run into you. Strange, huh?"

"Not really," Minato replied. "You know how I have a bunch of extracurriculars."

"Oh, that's right," the blue-eyed boy nodded. "Oh well, I'm outta here. See ya later." As he passed the older twin, the scarf-wearing boy brightened as he saw Hamuko in the lounge. "Hamuko-chan!" He politely bowed to her as if she were a princess. "Welcome back. Shame you weren't here," he frowned as he got back up. "I was hoping I'd be able to see you."

Startled from her comparison of her brother and friend, Hamuko blinked at Ryoji. "O-oh… Um… Sorry. I was out with my brother."

"Yeah…" the boy gently smiled at her. "I'm sorry, but I gotta get going…" He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll come see you again."

"Well, don't keep me waiting for too long," Hamuko laughed, causing Minato to sigh. She paused when Ryoji whispered into her ear as he walked past her.

"Could I go to your room next time?" he asked. "I'll be looking forward to it…"

Hamuko felt her face grow warm at the unexpected question as the boy finally left. Fuuka stared at her worriedly and approached her. "Hamuko-chan…" the teal-haired girl placed a hand on her friend's forehead. "Your face looks a little flushed…"

Minato straightened up at that. "Are you feeling sick?"

"N-no, I'm fine," she smiled at the two.

Minato studied her face for a while longer before he sensed someone staring at them. He turned towards the stairs. "Aigis, you can come down," he called out.

The blonde robot nodded as she came down the hall. "Was that Ryoji-san?" she asked the others.

Yukari nodded. "Yeah, he said he was going home."

"What was he doing here?" the mechanical maiden stared at them in confusion.

"He's been coming here a lot," the archer shrugged, "ever since he started hanging around with Junpei."

"But," the blonde frowned, "visitors aren't allowed here…"

"Yeah," Junpei shrugged, "but Mitsuru-senpai said that it's okay during the day."

"I don't think we need to worry about Ryoji-kun," Fuuka told the robot.

Aigis tensed up at that. "He's… dangerous…" she frowned as she stared at Minato and Hamuko.

"Who?" Fuuka gave the robot a confused look. "Ryoji-kun?"

"Come to think of it," Yukari crossed her arms, "he WAS hitting on Mitsuru-senpai the first time he met her."

"But," the teal-haired girl frowned, "having him around has really cheered up Junpei-kun." She glanced at the capped junior in concern.

Junpei shrugged. "Well, it's not like moping around's gonna bring her back…" he said, pulling down his cap.

"That's true…" Aigis lowered her gaze.

"Hm…?" Junpei looked over to the blonde. "What's the matter, Ai-chan?"

"I envy you, Junpei-san…" the robot told him. "I'm a machine, so I cannot understand how it feels to 'live'."

"But, you don't seem that different," the junior blinked at her.

She shook her head. "However, it is more accurate to say that I am 'functioning' as opposed to living. There are times when I malfunction, but I can always be repaired…"

"Like when Ikutsuki high-jacked you…" Hamuko murmured, "and ordered you to attack us…"

Aigis shot her head up towards the brunette and frowned. "Yes…"

Junpei shook his head. "So if we were all like you… we wouldn't have to worry about dying…" He paused as everyone turned to look at him. "Uh, sorry…" He frowned to himself. "Hey, I don't have time to talk. I seriously gotta go study…" He looked up at the others. "Hey, shouldn't you guys be studying too? I heard math's gonna be a killer."

"You wait until NOW to tell us that!?" Yukari groaned. "Well, I guess we should call it a night then…"

Minato watched as Yukari, Fuuka, and Junpei went upstairs. He looked back at his sister and saw her shrugging at him. The two decided to go too, but Aigis began absently speaking to herself. "I should not possess the gift of 'life'…" she dejectedly stated. "A 'living' weapon is difficult to operate… However, I believe I understand the concept of loss…" She looked up at the twins. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Should you ever be harmed, I…"

Hamuko shook her head. "Don't worry about us."

"I'll try not to," Aigis nodded with a frown.

Minato studied the robot's expression. "Aigis… I think you're overanalyzing things," he told her.

"I'm sorry," the blonde turned to him. "I'm just… concerned."

"Aigis?" the blue-haired boy frowned at her as she turned away from them to face the stairs.

"You both are very special to me… I do not know why, but I always want to be by your sides… I want to protect you… I apologize for interrupting you… I will leave you to your studies. Good night."

"Aigis!" the twins called out to her but the robot didn't respond, prompting the siblings to look at each other in concern.

Once she was in the privacy of her own room, Aigis blankly stared at her charging station. "Ryoji Mochizuki is dangerous… What is this uneasiness…?" She frowned to herself. "I am a machine… I cannot die, so they won't have to grieve for me. I must do something…" She clenched her fists as she remembered what she had almost done to the twins on top of the observatory. "I don't want them to suffer anymore…"

* * *

Mitsuru sat in the dormitory command room, alone. She stared at her cell phone with a troubled look on her face. After a minute of further deliberation, she sighed before dialing a number. She stood up as the dull tone of the phone rang in her ear. The redhead straightened her posture as the recipient on the other line picked up. "Hello? It's me. I'm sorry for calling so late." She frowned as she made sure she kept her voice level and professional. "As for what to do with the new arrival…" she took a deep breath. "I would like to ask… that you perform a full autopsy. If we find any distinguishing features, we may be able to locate her family, and…" She faltered a bit. "I can't shake my suspicion that the Kirijo Group is tied to Strega in some way. Because of this…" she clenched her fist, "I think it would be disrespectful to the deceased to cover up her death… I will, of course take full responsibility—" she was cut off as the other caller interrupted her and told her some startling news. "Huh…? What did you say?"

Mitsuru blinked as she had absently wandered to the window. She stared out at the dimly lit streets as the entirety of the current situation was explained to her.

"Transmogrified!?" the redhead exclaimed in surprise. "Y-you mean the corpse—!?" She paused as the other party continued. "But judging by the postmortem, we were certain she was…" She knit her eyebrows together. "Understood," she finally stated with a nod. A question was asked and Mitsuru hesitated a bit before coming up with an answer. "I'm sorry, but this must be kept strictly confidential until we know more. If there are any other changes…" She nodded. "Yes, absolutely. Well then…" She ended the call and let out a heavy sigh as she took a seat to mull things over. "What's going on…?"

She blankly stared at her phone as she considered the unusual change. The news had certainly been shocking and it didn't make any sense, but for some reason, the Student Council President found herself wearing a small smile. As lost as SEES was, perhaps a bit of hope was necessary to keep going. She'd keep this bit of information private for now as it was too soon to jump to conclusions, but when the time properly presented itself, she'd tell the others.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens for now…" she told herself with crossed arms.

* * *

~1 DECEMBER 2009~

Hamuko nervously opened the door to her bedroom. "Well," she invited Ryoji inside, "this is my room."

Ryoji curiously glanced around her room and studied every corner of it. "I think this is…" he frowned to himself in confusion, "my first time."

"Really?" Hamuko oddly looked at him as she didn't quite understand what he meant.

"Huh? Isn't it?" he turned towards her as she closed the door behind her. "I mean," he lowered his gaze, "I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've been in your room…" He stared at the pink calendar and stared at the markings she made to notify when there would be a full moon. "It just feels familiar for some reason…" he told her. "I wonder if it's just something that I've dreamed about. Or if I wanted to see it so much that it came to me in a vision…"

"Smooth line, Romeo," Hamuko smirked at him.

"Ha…" Ryoji smiled at her. "I'm being serious." He merrily laughed. "I think that I did come to see you," he nodded. "Probably to become friends with you…" He paused. "Ha… But I got it all wrong."

"Got what wrong?" the red-eyed girl asked him.

"I think what we have is different from just being friends," he seriously looked into her eyes. "I think of people like Junpei-kun and Yukari-san as your friends too, right?" He shook his head. "But I can't imagine thinking of them in the same way I see you…" He smiled at her as he took a step closer to her. "You have such a kind heart… You shouldn't give so much of yourself to me. I'll…" he lowered his gaze, "probably make you sad. It's just a feeling I get… Even though you're so precious to me…"

"Really?" Hamuko frowned. "You know… Shinji-kun was the same way…" She glanced over at Pyro Shinji sitting on her bed. "He loved me so much that it hurt for him to be with me because he knew he didn't have long. I selfishly pursued him though… because I loved him too." She wryly laughed. "Are you telling me that loving you is like loving Shinji?"

"Yes… I care about you a lot, but I know I'm going to hurt you in the end… I'm being so selfish with you…" Ryoji longingly stared at her. "So much that it's probably wrong of me to feel this way…" He hesitated a bit. "It's like… a forbidden love." His voice trembled as his body began to shake in heart-rending sorrow. "Hamuko-chan… Please touch me… Make sure that I exist. Feel for yourself that I'm actually here."

Hamuko gingerly held his hand. "Ryoji-kun… You _are_ here…"

Ryoji tried to smile as his blue eyes gleamed. "Your hand is so warm…" he noticed. "It brings tears to my eyes…" He tried to wipe them away. "Why is that? Please, tell me…" He shook his head. "It's painful deep inside…"

Hamuko hugged him as they spent the afternoon together. By the time evening rolled around, Ryoji decided it would be best to leave so that he wouldn't get her in trouble for having him over so late. The brunette quietly saw him off at the intersection as she wondered why the two of them found it so painful to be with each other.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Minato flinched as a large group of girls squealed in the cramped hallway. _Ah, jeez. So noisy…_ He looked around for Akihiko or Ryoji, but didn't notice either popular boy around. _The hell!?_

"Ryoji-kun!" A girl ran towards the blue-haired boy but paused when she realized it was just Minato. "Aw…" She turned back towards the crowd. "It's just the Hellhound!"

"Well, yeah…" Minato growled. "How can you mistake me for him?"

"Such a grump…" another girl muttered from the mob.

"No wonder he can't get a girlfriend…"

"I'm surprised he's friends with Ryoji-kun and Akihiko-senpai!"

The blue-eyed boy could feel his patience wearing thin. "If you don't clear the halls, I'm going to have to write up citations," he threatened them. "This is a fire hazard…" They all scattered and Minato let out a sigh of relief when the incessant chattering disappeared with them. "Finally… some quiet…"

He returned to his classroom and spotted Mitsuru inside. The senior put on a satisfied smile as she called out towards Ryoji. "Yuki! There you are!"

Ryoji blinked as he turned towards the beautiful redhead. "Mitsuru-san! Have you come here to reconsider my offer for a date?"

"Mochizuki?" Mitsuru blinked as she realized her mistake. "Um… No…" she frowned. "I was looking for…"

"Senpai, I'm right here," Minato sighed.

"Oh, there you are!" Mitsuru looked between both juniors. "How could I have mistaken the two of you?"

"It happens a lot," Ryoji chuckled. "You'd be surprised. Just the other day, I thought Fuuka-san was asking me out to dinner."

"What!?" Minato turned to his friend in alarm.

"I accepted but she slapped me when she realized I wasn't Minato-kun," Ryoji frowned. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought up that restaurant around Shirakawa Boulevard…"

"You…!?" The Hellhound was about to strangle his friend, but Mitsuru sharply pulled on his jacket.

She sighed as she didn't have time for this. "Let's get going, Yuki. There's a problem with the PA system again. You can deal with your relationship with Yamagishi later."

"W-wait! What!?"

"What is it?" Mitsuru looked at the blue-haired boy in confusion. "It's common knowledge in the dorm that you and Yamagishi are seeing each other. That is true, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"So long as you don't do anything unscrupulous in the dormitory, it should be fine," the senior nodded.

"J-just what is that supposed to mean!?"

"You know what she means, Minato-kun," Ryoji smiled. "You're lucky to get to live with such beautiful girls…" He paused as he considered the other residents of the dorm. "Junpei-kun and Akihiko-san are lucky too… For Akihiko-san, it must be a dream come true to be able to bask in Mitsuru-san's beauty every day and night…"

"Mochizuki, I recommend you leave before another Execution is imminent…" Mitsuru sternly told him.

"Senpai?" Minato looked up at the redhead in confusion. "Are you and Akihiko-san…?"

"Just get going to the Announcement Room," the senior scolded the Hellhound.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Minato shook off the cold chill running down his spine before disappearing from the classroom.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I'm pretty sure Hamuko and Ryoji's relationship would be a lot less complicated if Minato were dead... Because really... She fell in love with a person who is kinda technically also her brother... Maybe I'm overthinking it and this isn't complicated at all... Maybe this all just happened because Hamuko and Minato are kinda messed up in the head and this was the only way they could fulfill a deeply subconscious wish they had in the dark recesses of their perturbed minds. Either way, I kinda feel bad for setting up Hamuko's love life so poorly. She won't ever be able to catch a break... And here I thought Minato was the one suffering more in life... Sorry, Hamuko... You're so strong...


	45. Death's Awakening

**Author's Notes:** Answer is hard... I just finished viewing Mitsuru's door so it kinda took me a while for that fact to set in, but it really is difficult... The main source of trouble for me is the fact that Aigis doesn't have a Compendium. I know she "inherited" her Wild Card but shouldn't that mean the Compendium belongs to her now? Metis is cool though. I like her. If she learned healing spells, I'm pretty sure she would have been the most broken character ever. Anyways, time for our first non-Operation Full Moon.

* * *

~2 DECEMBER 2009~

"Aigis?" Minato spotted the mechanical girl staring blankly at the school.

Hamuko called out to their overprotective guardian. "Ai-chan? What are you doing standing outside the school gate by yourself? Were you waiting for us?"

The robot turned to look at them, mild surprise on her face. "Good morning," she said to the twins as they reached her side. "I intend to do my best to protect everyone."

"Is something wrong?" Hamuko asked her.

"No," the blonde shook her head. "Please do not worry. I just wanted to share my feelings."

"Aigis…" Minato sternly frowned at the robot. "Just what do you intend to do?"

The girl blinked at him in surprise. "You are both important to me, Minato-san." She looked into the boy's blue eyes and did not waver. "I intend to protect you," she told him.

The junior frowned as something didn't bode well within him. "Aigis, I'm counting on you…" He lowered his gaze. "But… please don't do anything that will make us worry."

"Is that an order?" Aigis asked him as it was unlike him to give her such a strange directive.

"W-what? Why would you ask that?" Minato strangely stared at the robot. "I'm just concerned…"

"Ai-chan?" Hamuko frowned at the robot. "What's wrong?"

The robot paused and stared at the kind twins. She shook her head. "Nothing is wrong… but I understand…" She steadily looked into the brunette's red eyes. "You have no reason to be concerned about me…"

Minato watched her turn away from them and continue towards the school. "You're acting so strangely, Aigis…" he muttered.

* * *

Fuuka laughed as her boyfriend hugged her from behind. "Hi, how was your day?" she smiled up at him.

Minato pecked her cheek before straightening up. "It was good. You?"

"Tonight is the full moon…" she said with a frown. "But we won't be conducting an operation. Maybe I should summon Juno, though, just in case…"

"It's best to be safe," the blue-haired boy nodded as he took a seat on the couch. He looked around the lounge and frowned when he noticed it was rather empty. "By the way, have you seen Aigis?"

"No," Fuuka shook her head. "She's been returning late these days. She never used to…" she said in worry. "I wonder what happened."

"Don't you think she's been acting strange lately?" Minato asked.

"How so?"

The boy took a moment to form his thoughts. "It's just… she's been avoiding Hamuko and me. I don't know why."

"Maybe it's because you both have been spending time with Ryoji-kun," Fuuka considered.

"No, she'd try to intervene if that were the case," Minato shook his head. He looked up when he noticed Hamuko coming down the stairs. "Hey, Hamuko, have you seen Aigis?"

"I thought she was with you," the red-eyed girl blinked at him as she dropped her dishes into the kitchen sink.

"I thought you both came back together," her brother stated.

The brunette frowned. "She's not in her room…" She glanced out the window to look at the full moon. "Nii-san… I'm getting worried."

"So am I." Minato stood up. "Let's head over to the command room. Fuuka, your assistance, if you will…"

"Of course!" the teal-haired girl nodded to him as she followed the twins upstairs.

* * *

Ryoji stared up at the full moon. It seemed so bright tonight, yet also eerily familiar. He continued down the empty bridge that stood over the bloody ocean. He paused when he sensed someone approaching him from behind.

Aigis lowered her head. "I've been looking for you."

Ryoji turned to face her. "You…" He frowned. "You're…"

"What are you doing here?" the blonde asked him.

The blue-eyed boy blinked at her before glancing at their surroundings. "Oh, that's right. You don't really like me, do you?" he asked with a sad frown. "Well, to answer your question, I ended up here when I came to my senses. It's strange…" He held out his hand towards the blood-red ocean. "The sky and the ground look so weird, and there's no one here…" He slightly winced as the image of a burning car appeared in his mind. "Something terrible has happened here, and yet I feel at peace."

"Have you forgotten?" Aigis asked him.

"Forgotten what?" the boy looked up at her in surprise.

"The Dark Hour—a time period few people are active during," the girl explained. "But you, you've somehow adapted to it… Too well for a human, in fact." Ryoji remained silent as he stared at the blue-eyed girl. "Yes… It's all so clear," the robot continued. "Now I understand the reason behind this feeling I sense when you're around. You are not good. You are… my enemy." She tensed up.

"Your enemy?" Ryoji tilted his head to the side. He paused to think for a second before nodding. "That's right… On a night like tonight… the moon was full…" He became sad as he remembered. "It was long ago…"

"Yes…" Aigis nodded. "We met once before… as adversaries."

"Who… Who am I?" Ryoji hesitantly asked. "Who are you…?"

"I am Aigis," the blonde girl simply responded. "The last remaining Anti-Shadow Emergency Control Weapon. A machine created to destroy Shadows."

"Created to…" the boy's blue eyes widened, "destroy Shadows…"

"And you…" Aigis continued to levelly stare at him. "Your true name is 'Death'… You are the Shadow I sealed away ten years ago!" She got into her battle stance and Ryoji tensed up. She threateningly leapt into the air to prepare her attack but he remained rooted in place.

"Yes…" he closed his eyes. "Ten years ago, the night I was born into this world… I set foot on this very bridge." In his mind, he remembered that Moonlight Bridge had just recently been built. Aigis had stood before him in the exact same way back then too.

"The sole purpose of my existence is to destroy Shadows," Aigis said as he recalled the past. "For that reason I was given a personality… and a Persona."

"They said I was Death," Ryoji frowned, "the 13th Arcana that was never meant to be… and I wasn't in this world for long before parts of my body escaped me, leaving me incomplete… as I was when I met you." He clenched his teeth as he remembered his Shadow self floating next to a crashed car.

"Even so, your strength was far greater than I anticipated," Aigis frowned. "The only possible alternative was to seal you away…" Her blue eyes narrowed as she landed directly before her enemy. "And as circumstance would have it, a suitable vessel was available: a human child who happened to be nearby…" She frowned as she remembered pulling a small blue-haired boy out of the burning car who had adamantly wanted to save his sister, even if it meant facing Death. "So I did what was necessary. I had no other choice…"

"Minato-kun and Hamuko-chan…" Ryoji sighed. "I see, so I was confined within them, and I led them to my twelve missing pieces without realizing it. And then…" He clenched his fists as he opened his eyes. "I understand now…" he said with a sad frown. "I remember… I remember everything… It all makes sense now… Who… and what I am…"

Aigis raised her guns towards Ryoji. "A machine is created for a purpose," she told him. "Mine is to defeat you… That is the purpose of my existence!"

Ryoji shook his head. "It doesn't have to be that way… Aigis…"

The robot frowned as his tone and expression seemed to match Minato's a bit, but she evoked her Persona. "Palladion!" The Persona charged at the raven-haired boy but he easily blocked the attack.

"Don't be foolish, Aigis," he sternly told her. "I'm different than before. There's no way you can win…" The kind boy sadly frowned as he lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry…"

Aigis tried once more to use her Persona against Ryoji, but the boy began emanating a powerful dark aura. After a pulse of energy erupted from him, Aigis faltered and Palladion disappeared. The boy before her didn't even lift a finger but still managed to forcefully dispel her Persona. "Augh…!" She began to shake before collapsing to a knee. "I am sorry…" she apologized to no one in particular. "I have failed. This mission… appears impossible… A machine that cannot fulfill its purpose… has no worth… I'm sorry, everyone… Hamuko-san… Minato-san…" She fell to the floor and stared at Ryoji. Images of the boy known as Ryoji, a pair of small children, and the Shadow called Death flashed before her eyes. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I'm… afraid."

* * *

 _"Hamuko!"_ A voice called out in the brunette's mind.

The red-eyed girl sat up and looked around. "Nii-san?"

Minato lifted his gaze from the command console and turned to look at his sister. "Is something wrong?"

"A bad memory…" Hamuko muttered as they returned to the screen before them. "Sorry… I shouldn't be distracted."

"I felt it too," her brother softly murmured. He sighed as he glanced towards the two navigators. "So how's it going over there?"

"We haven't found anything yet," Mitsuru shook her head.

Fuuka clasped her hands together as she summoned Juno again. Yukari entered at that time and was a bit startled by the Persona's sudden appearance. "Hey…" the archer frowned. "Don't scare me like that."

"Is something wrong?" Mitsuru asked the junior.

"Well, it's a full moon tonight…" Yukari glanced at the four in the command room. "You noticed it too, didn't you, Senpai?" She sighed. "Geez, I'm starting to feel like a workaholic!"

"More so than nii-san?" Hamuko chuckled.

"Get back to work," Minato sternly frowned at his sister.

Yukari studied the blue-haired boy's serious expression. "Oh no… Did something…?"

"We don't know anything for sure…" Mitsuru shook her head. "However, we can't find Aigis."

"Huh?" The archer frowned to herself. "Where would she have gone?"

Fuuka opened her eyes and turned towards Minato. _"I sensed a Persona, but it quickly disappeared. And soon after that, I couldn't detect Aigis's presence."_

"Could it have been Strega…?" Yukari asked in worry.

"Well, she hasn't sensed any of their members, but we can't be positive," Mitsuru stated.

"No, it's not Strega," Minato shook his head.

"How can you be so sure?" Yukari asked him.

"It's a feeling we have," Hamuko frowned. "Nii-san…"

"I know…"

The archer studied the twins. "Is something wrong? You both look sick…"

"We'll be fine," Minato said, standing up. "Fuuka, Aigis's position?"

 _"I've confirmed her location,"_ Fuuka nodded. _"She's on Moonlight Bridge!"_

"N-no way…" Hamuko frowned. She urgently looked towards her brother. "Nii-san…!"

"I know…!" He turned towards Mitsuru. "Hamuko and I are heading over now. Sorry, but this is important."

"Hey!" Yukari stepped aside as they rushed past her. "What's wrong?"

Fuuka recalled Juno. "Moonlight Bridge…?" The girl tried to remember what was so special about that landmark. "That's where they…" She gasped. "Mitsuru-senpai!" She turned to the older girl in concern.

Mitsuru frowned. "I see…" She looked up towards Yukari. "Alright, call the others. Let's see what's going on there."

* * *

"Ai-chan!" Hamuko rushed ahead of her brother and towards the damaged robot. "Aigis! Are you okay? What happened?"

Minato calmly walked towards the two girls as he glanced around. He tensed up as he sensed a familiar presence nearby. "Hamuko… Something's here…" He kept his guard up as he kept his eyes open for danger.

Aigis weakly looked up at the twins. "Minato-san… Hamuko-san… You shouldn't be here…"

"You shouldn't either!" Minato scolded the blonde. "I told you to not do anything to make us worry!"

"Nii-san! She's hurt!"

"No… I am merely damaged…" Aigis frowned at Hamuko.

"Don't say that about yourself!" Hamuko cried. Some barking caught her attention so she turned her head towards the dog running towards them. "Koro-chan!"

Yukari's eyes widened as she saw the blonde on the ground. "Aigis!?" The rest of the team followed after the archer.

Aigis sadly looked up at Hamuko. "I'm sorry… I… I… remember everything… Who I am… Who 'he' is…" She lifted her hand and Hamuko gently took it. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… I know why I wanted to be your sides… I'm sorry… I failed…"

"It's going to be okay!" Hamuko cried.

"Save your energy," Minato sternly stated as he knelt down and assessed the extent of her damage.

Aigis lowered her gaze. "I'm… sorry…"

"There's no need for you to apologize," a voice softly said.

"Nii-san?" Hamuko thought it came from her brother, so looked up towards him.

Minato paused before lifting his gaze at the figure approaching them. "Ryoji…" He stood back up to face the scarf-wearing transfer student.

"N-no way…" Hamuko looked between the two similar boys.

Junpei's eyes widened. "You…!?"

"Ryoji-kun…?" Yukari shook her head in disbelief. "Wait, what're you doing here!?"

Hamuko felt Aigis's hand go limp. "H-hey! Stay with me! Ai-chan!"

"Aigis!" Fuuka cried out in worry.

"What's going on…?" Akihiko frowned.

Ryoji lowered his head. "It's all my fault…"

The boxer took a step forward but saw Minato hold out his arm. "Senpai, don't," the younger boy stated. His voice was level and calm as the junior did his best to keep his emotions in check.

"Minato?" The older boy stared at the blue-haired teen's back.

Mitsuru placed a hand on the white-haired senior's shoulder. "Akihiko, wait. He's not showing any signs of aggression." She looked towards Ryoji. "Tell us… Who are you? WHAT are you?"

Ryoji walked forward but as soon as he was close enough to see the hurt and betrayal on Hamuko's face, he stopped. "I'm the same as the beings you call Shadows," he said with a sad smile.

Junpei shook his head. "You're a Shadow!?"

The raven-haired boy couldn't bear to look at his friends so blankly stared at Minato's clenched fist. "I'm the embodiment of all Shadows… The Appriser, born from the union of the 12 Arcana."

"The Appriser…?" Yukari knit her eyebrows together in confusion.

"I remember everything now…" Ryoji continued. "The frightening truth about myself… and Shadows… It's all so hard to believe." He collapsed to his knees.

"Ryoji-kun…" Hamuko frowned as she could sense the turmoil he was in.

Mitsuru frowned as she gently questioned the Shadow. "You know the 'truth' about Shadows?"

"Yes," Ryoji nodded. "Shadows are here to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being. She will begin to awaken as she is drawn to me… The Appriser."

"You?" The senior stared at him. "You're The Appriser?"

Ryoji nodded. The raven-haired boy glanced towards Hamuko and noticed her still carrying Aigis. The red-eyed girl stared back at him with a sad frown.

Fuuka wanted to step forward, but she decided against it as Minato adamantly stood between Ryoji and the team. "What is this 'maternal being'…?" she asked.

"She is a great entity…" Ryoji explained. "There is no comparable word in your language for her. Ten years ago, a man collected a great number of Shadows and contained them in a laboratory… That's where I was born. But the unification was interrupted, and I awoke in an incomplete state. Not long after, I fell to Aigis… as she did to me." He trembled at the destruction he caused.

"Aigis…!?" Junpei looked back and forth between his friend and the broken robot. "Is that true!? Ryoji?" He glanced up towards the blue-haired boy with his back turned towards them and shook his head. "Minato! Come on! Say something! You can't believe this either, right?"

"It doesn't matter what I think," Minato finally spoke up, his tone completely even. "I think I understand now… I remember too… And the truth is that Ryoji is my responsibility…" There was nothing in his words that betrayed any of his emotions. "Isn't that right, Pharos?" Ryoji paused at that and stared at Minato in surprise. A painful smile was on the blue-haired boy's face and Ryoji matched it with one of his own before nodding.

"Yuki-san?" Ken frowned at their leader. "Hamuko-san, what does he mean?"

The brunette's eyes widened. "Nii-san…" She stared at Ryoji and suddenly recognized where she had seen him before. _You're… Pharos…!?_

"Ryoji…" Minato prodded the Shadow to continue.

The taller boy nodded. "Aigis knew she could not defeat me… So in an act of desperation, she sealed me within a child who happened to be standing nearby. That child grew up, carrying me inside him all the while sharing my power with his sister. And by a twist of fate, they later returned here together… as transfer students."

"You mean…" Yukari stared at the twins in disbelief.

"Yes… I lived inside them," Ryoji wryly smiled. "Their special Personas awakened… as did the 12 Shadows, all in order to become one with me."

Junpei shook his head as he tried to let it all sink in. "Ryoji, you're The Appriser? A-and you were inside THEM!? None of this makes sense!"

"Tch," Minato smirked at himself as the painful memories flooded his mind. "If only I had been stronger back then, I would have been a suitable 'harbor' for you, Ryoji… But of course… I ended up getting Hamuko dragged into this. And from there, so did everyone else around me…"

"Nii-san, that's not true!" Hamuko cried out. "You can't blame yourself for this!"

"That's right…" Ryoji nodded. "It's all my fault… I'm sorry." He shook his head. "There's more I need… to tell you…" He passed out but Minato quickly rushed forward to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Ryoji-kun!" Fuuka ran over to the two boys in worry. She helped Minato lift Ryoji and took the moment to study their leader's expression. _Minato-kun?_ She frowned as Minato refused to look at her as they returned to the team.

"He appears to be exhausted…" Mitsuru frowned as she examined Ryoji. "Let's let him rest… We have Aigis to attend to as well." Hamuko nodded as Junpei carefully lifted up their mechanical friend. "We'll continue our talk later."

Minato looked up towards Hamuko and saw that she was frowning at the bridge. _She remembers that night too…_ he thought. Hamuko suddenly lifted her gaze and her red eyes met his blue ones. They both gave each other an understanding nod as they wished that their memories of ten years ago remained forgotten. Still, this was the truth Minato had asked for. And despite the pain, he refused to look away.

* * *

~22 DECEMBER 1999~

"And so the culprit," a seven-year-old Minato tugged on the paperboy hat he wore, "is you!" He smirked and pointed his free hand at the giggling four-year-old.

The small blue-haired girl with shoulder length hair nearly toppled over from laughter. "N-no! I didn't!"

"Don't think you can get away, Naoto Shirogane!" her older brother triumphantly smirked. Naoto shook her head and tackled into the boy. Minato yelped as he fell backwards. "Back up requested! I repeat, back up requested!"

"Hamuko Shirogane to the rescue!" The red-eyed brunette popped out of nowhere and grabbed Naoto. "Gotcha, Nao-chan!"

"Onee-chan!" Naoto laughed as she struggled against her sister's massive hug.

Minato laughed too as he began tickling the little girl. "Here's your punishment, Nao-kun!"

An elderly man proudly chortled at the three children. "Good work, Minato," he nodded. "But are you sure you have the right perp?"

"Of course, Grandfather!" Minato stood up straight. "This Shirogane is infallible!" he thumped his chest with a fist. He began coughing as he choked on his own saliva.

Hamuko patted his back and worriedly frowned at him. "It's too bad you're not invincible," she shook her head.

Their grandmother came out from the kitchen and frowned at the coughing boy. "You need to take better care of your body, Minato. You're not as strong as your sisters."

The boy wryly smiled. "Yes, Grandmother…"

"Now come along," she smiled at her precious grandchildren as she set down a tray of snacks for them. "You all deserve some hot chocolate and cake after a long day of lessons."

"Thanks, Grandmother!" Hamuko brightened as she helped Naoto settle down at the table. Minato took a seat at her other side and passed around the plates.

"Haruka, you're spoiling them," the third generation detective sighed.

"Hiroto, they're just children," Haruka shook her head.

"They're not 'just children'," the man crossed his arms. "They are fifth generation Shirogane detectives. I intend to see them live up to what is expected of them."

"That's still a long ways off, don't you think?" Haruka laughed at her husband. "You didn't have Takuto begin his training until he was ten."

"That's because your son was a rebel and wanted to become a phantom thief," Hiroto huffed.

"Well, it's a good thing that didn't work out," Takuto chuckled as he came out of the study with his wife. He straightened out his tie and reached for the hat usually on top of his head. He frowned when he noticed it wasn't there. "Where did I put it?"

"Minato's wearing it, dear," Kyoko giggled, pointing at the seven-year-old tipping his head towards them. The boy quickly got up and walked over to his parents. The red-eyed woman placed a hand on his cheek and laughed. "You look just like your father, Minato. My precious little boy."

Minato blushed as he took the hat off. "Here you are, Dad." He paused as he noticed Kyoko was dressed up too. "Are you two going out tonight?"

"That's right," Kyoko nodded. "We have one last thing to do in order to wrap up our current case, but tomorrow, we'll all be returning to the estate. Did you three pack up your things like we asked?"

Hamuko nodded. "Yeah, we're all set."

Haruka checked the time. "You two had better get going or else you'll be late for the meeting."

"Of course, Mother," Takuto nodded to her as the older woman gathered the empty mugs of hot chocolate.

Hamuko's eyes widened a bit. "Grandmother, let us help!" She stood up with Naoto and the girls helped with clearing the table.

Takuto smiled at how thoughtful his daughters were. He sternly eyed Minato before leaving. "Now you all behave while we're out. Listen to your grandparents, understand?"

Minato lowered his gaze. "Alright…"

Kyoko frowned as she sensed her son wanted something. "What is it, Minato?"

"I want to come watch you guys work," he mumbled.

"Minato," Takuto shook his head, "you need to speak clearly."

The boy knit his eyebrows together as he worked up the courage to say what he wanted to. "I want to see the greatest detectives in the world in action!" he exclaimed.

"No fair," Hamuko frowned as she and Naoto came out of the kitchen. "If nii-san goes, I want to go too!"

"Me too!" Naoto jumped up, eager to follow her older siblings anywhere.

"You can't, Nao-kun," Minato shook his head at her. "You're too small." He patted her head to emphasize his point.

The small girl wore a pout. "Onii-chan!"

Hamuko yawned. "Wait… it's almost ten, isn't it?" she asked as she glanced at the wall clock. "Nao-chan, it's bedtime."

Naoto frowned as she began rubbing her eyes. "But I want to go!"

"We didn't say Minato could come with us," Takuto shook his head at them. "Minato, bedtime. Go watch your sisters."

"That's right," Kyoko sternly nodded at him. "You're the oldest so you need to set a good example for them. You don't have to be perfect, but they look up to you."

"But I look up to you too!" Minato shook his head. "And I'm not tired!"

"Onii-chan…" Naoto whined as she tugged on his arm. She looked between the bedroom she shared with the twins and the front door, not certain which was the more enticing option. In the end, her exhaustion from the day's homeschooling and play won out. With a yawn, she brought both her arms up towards her brother, wanting him to pick her up. "I want to sleep…"

"You're such a baby, Nao-kun," Minato sighed as he gladly obliged.

"She's only four, nii-san," Hamuko shook her head at him. "And we're kids too! We need our sleep."

"But I just want to see Mom and Dad work just once," Minato looked up at their parents. "I want to be exactly like them when I grow up. Right, Nao-kun?" He glanced down at the girl in his arms but noticed she had her head rested against his shoulder and eyes closed. "Oh…" he lowered his voice. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You really are tired…"

Hiroto chuckled. "Why not take Minato and Hamuko along? Consider this a part of their training. Haruka and I will watch Naoto." He stood up and took the sleeping Naoto from his grandson.

"But Hamuko's not very good with staying up late either," Kyoko frowned as the seven-year-old girl tried her best to shake sleep from her eyes.

"It's bad luck to separate twins," Hiroto shook his head at the superstition. "Besides, the experience will prove to be useful for them both. It'll help dictate what type of detectives they want to be as they grow older. Naoto has plenty of time to get experience in the future, but I believe the twins are ready. Minato is nearly complete with the deduction and induction courses and Hamuko isn't that far behind him."

Takuto looked at the two in surprise. "Really? At this rate, they'll be able to professionally work before they start middle school."

"By the time they're ten," the proud grandfather smiled.

"I don't know about this," Kyoko crossed her arms. She looked at the twins. "Hamuko, it looks like you're the one who gets to have the last say on this. If you don't feel up to it, you don't have to push yourself. You need your sleep after all."

The red-eyed girl looked between her mom and her brother. "Um… I don't really…"

"Come on, Hamuko," Minato begged his twin. "Please try to stay awake? I really want to see them in action! Aren't you curious about how Mom and Dad work?"

The brunette sighed. "Fine, but won't we be in the way?"

"I'll figure something out," Takuto smiled at them. "Besides, Father's right." He looked back to his wife. "If they're really intent on following our footsteps, they'll need to discover their own style of investigating. Seeing us conclude a case would be a great place to start since it's away from the dangers of an actual investigation."

Kyoko looked between her husband and the twins before relenting to Minato's request. "Okay, but you both need to listen to our instructions. And no drawing attention to yourselves."

"Got it!" Minato saluted his parents.

* * *

Takuto waited for the other party to drive away towards Gekkoukan before walking back to their car. He looked over to his partner and smirked. "I guess this is case closed," he stated with a nod.

"We won't know for sure until after midnight passes, Takuto," Kyoko frowned. "Perhaps it would have been better if left Minato and Hamuko home. There was a lot we discussed and Minato gets restless whenever he senses something wrong."

"Hm…" Her husband crossed his arms. "Knowing Hamuko, she might have fallen asleep." He opened the door to the driver's seat and glanced into the back. "Ah… I was right." He frowned when Minato wasn't anywhere to be found. "That boy…" Takuto glanced at his watch and shook his head. "It's nearly midnight…"

Kyoko looked around worriedly. "Minato!" she called out.

Hearing her mother's voice, Hamuko stirred a bit. She groggily rubbed her eyes and sat up in her seat. "Mom?" The small girl stretched, careful to not hit her brother, but she paused when she realized she was the only one in the car. "Nii-san?"

Takuto sternly frowned at her. "Hamuko, when did you fall asleep?"

"A half hour ago?" she mumbled, glancing at the car's clock.

"And your brother was still with you then?" he questioned her.

"I think I heard nii-san say something about a girl standing on the roof of the mall," Hamuko told him. She loudly yawned as she couldn't quite recall if it was a dream or something that actually happened.

"Your brother is in so much trouble…" Takuto shook his head. He looked up at Kyoko. "Hamuko's not in any condition to help us right now, but Minato must have sensed something."

"We'll have to wait for him to return then," Kyoko frowned. She checked the time and noticed it would be midnight in just fifteen minutes. "If he's not back in five minutes, I'll go look for him. It won't do to have him about during _that._ "

"I agree," the other detective nodded. "I'll watch Hamuko then."

"Hm?" the girl shifted as she didn't quite understand what her parents were going on about. "Is something happening?"

"It's nothing," her father smiled at her. "It's fine, Hamuko. You can go back to sleep if you want."

Hamuko frowned as she sensed he was hiding something from her, but her exhaustion was too much for her to fight against. She curled up against the door and rested her head against it without another thought.

Once he was sure she was asleep, Takuto looked over to his wife. "We might not have to be worried, Kyoko," he told her with a small smile. "Minato and Hamuko probably don't have this 'potential' we were told about." He fidgeted with the strange ring they had just been given by their final informant. "If that woman really was telling the truth, we'll be fine during the Dark Hour so long as we don't take these off."

"Hm," Kyoko frowned as she stared at a ring of her own. "She seemed trustworthy… but desperate to get away from her employers. What if she had been set up by the Kirijo Group to lure us into a trap though?"

"If that's the case, she wouldn't have given us such strange weapons too," Takuto shook his head as he stared at the sheathed sword tied at his waist. As he swapped the bullet clip in his pistol to a specially crafted ammunition set, he wore a wry smirk since his equipment made him feel a bit like a Devil Summoner. "Also, any move the Group make against us at this point would challenge not only the Shirogane, but the entirety of the Kuzunoha clan." He stared at the ring in the palm of his hand for a while longer as he debated with himself whether or not to put it on. In the end, he slipped it around his left index finger. "I suppose I'll take my chances…"

"Well, someone needs to watch your back," Kyoko smirked as she did the same. "We're partners after all. We'll face the Dark Hour, whatever it is, together." She nervously checked the time again. "I'd better go now. Takuto, please take care of yourself and Hamuko."

"I'll be fine, Kyoko," the blue-haired detective nodded. "It's you I'm more worried about if you intend to go out there alone."

* * *

Minato stared out over the roof of Paulownia Mall and shook his head. _I was right about the architecture_ , he thought to himself as he caught his breath. _There's no way for just anyone to get up here._ He frowned at the blonde girl staring down through the skylight. Tracing her gaze, Minato noticed she was completely focused on the police station where his parents were. "Hey!" he recklessly called out. "Just what do you think you're doing?" The figure tensed up and looked towards him. Minato fell backwards, surprised by the girl's glowing blue eyes. "W-what the…?" _There's no way she's human…_

The girl jumped up into the air and landed before him. She fixed her gaze on him and Minato saw the lighting in her eyes shift as if she were focusing her vision. "You are…?" she spoke mechanically as she stared at him in confusion. After a moment of scanning the boy, she relaxed. "You are just a child…"

"I'm not just any child," Minato frowned as he got back up to his feet. "I'm Minato Shirogane, fifth generation Shirogane detective," he proudly stated, puffing up his tiny chest.

"That type of information is irrelevant to me," the teenage girl responded, turning away from him.

"Well, it should be relevant!" the boy exclaimed, a bit annoyed he was being brushed off. "One day, criminals will fear the name Minato Shirogane!" He crossed his arms and smirked. "Don't look down on me just because you're older than me!" He paused as he studied her odd joints. "Actually… you're not human, are you?"

The robot stopped walking away and turned to the boy in surprise. "No, I am Aigis, an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon."

"So is that a fancy way of saying robot?" Minato asked, tilting his head to the side. "Because you look like an android to me."

"I am a machine meant to exterminate Shadows," the robot clarified to him.

"Shadows?" Minato stared down at his own shadow cast by the light of the full moon.

"It is not that type of shadow," the girl shook her head.

"Well, whatever it is you were meant to fight, there's no way I'm letting a suspicious person like you getting in the way of my parents' investigation," the boy stated.

"Your parents?" Aigis looked over towards the police station.

"Y-yeah," Minato tensed up as he got into a martial arts stance. "Y-you were built by the Kirijo Group, right? That makes you the current enemy of my parents…"

Aigis studied the two adults speaking with the Kirijo scientist she had been asked to track. "Your parents are not my objective."

"What?" The blue-haired boy frowned. "So then why are you here?"

"That is classified," the robot looked back at him. She tensed up as she sensed movement inside the mall.

Minato looked into the building too and noticed the three adults coming out. He frowned as he wondered whether to get back to the car, but he was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard gears whirring. He looked over towards Aigis with wide eyes as she aimed her arm towards his parents.

The boy's body moved automatically as he tackled into the robot. "No! Stop!" The impact was a lot harder than he thought and it resulted in him biting his tongue as they toppled to the ground. "Ow!" He blew a raspberry to try and dissipate the pain before glaring at the blonde. "Juth whad do you dink you're doing?" he tried to ask.

"I have been given orders from my creator," Aigis frowned at the boy. "You are in the way." Minato tensed up as the robot lifted her arm towards him. He stared down the gun barrels in her fingers before narrowing his eyes. The blonde paused as the child didn't seem afraid. "Why are you not running away from danger?" she asked in confusion.

"Danger is a part of every investigation," Minato said with a deep breath. "Much like the truth, it should be faced head-on!" He pushed her arm aside and tried to punch the robot. As his knuckles collided into her metal chassis, he howled in pain. "Gah! R-right… You're a machine…"

"You're not very bright," the robot tilted her head to the side. "Or rather, you are very reckless… You act without thinking about the consequences…"

"Stop looking down on me just because I'm seven!" Minato shouted as he got into his battle stance again. "I'll definitely defeat you and protect my parents. I won't let you harm them!"

"Don't be foolish," Aigis shook her head at the boy as she took aim again. "There's no way you can win…"

The blue-haired boy studied the android before him for weaknesses. "I like to think otherwise!" he smirked. "Besides, you're hesitating too, aren't you?"

The blonde looked at him in surprise. "I am…" she faltered a bit at his words.

"Come on," he smiled. "You're a machine with a heart! I'm not your target, so that's why you're not firing at me." He frowned as he thought of their current situation though. "Still… you tried to fire at my parents… so I have no choice but to label you as the enemy." His blue eyes flashed in determination. "No matter the odds, I can't and won't back down!"

Aigis dodged to the side when the boy performed a roundhouse kick. She frowned as his movements were rather unrefined, but they weren't particularly dangerous. He had clear openings but Aigis found she couldn't bring herself to use them. She had no reason to attack him and it seemed as though this human were treating the fight as a simple game. There was no threat here. Besides, the boy's physical aptitude paled in comparison to what was normal of a child his age. That added on top of his wasteful movements, it wouldn't be long before he exhausted himself.

After a few minutes of trying to land a blow on the robot, Minato found himself out of breath and slightly dizzy. "C-come on," he frowned. "S-stop dodging around and fight me!" He wobbled back and forth. "Oh man…" He grabbed his head and tried to steady himself with something but couldn't find anything to grab. His eyes widened as he toppled towards the edge of the roof. "Whoa!"

Fearing she wouldn't be able to make it in time, Aigis quickly cast Sukukaja before diving after him. After safely catching the falling boy, she landed nimbly on the ground and gently set him down. Minato hadn't flinched at all but he blankly stared at the glowing mechanical figure that faded away behind the robot. After a while though, he remembered the situation he was in so let out a surprised cry before pushing her away. "Why'd you save me?" he asked the robot with a slight frown.

Aigis stared at the boy and looked down at herself in confusion. "I do not know…" The boy studied her for a while before noticing a car driving past them. The robot quickly looked up to see who it was and slightly tensed up. "My target…"

The boy sharply grabbed her arm before she could take off after the vehicle. "H-hey! Wait!"

The robot turned back towards him. "I must complete my mission."

"And what mission is that?" Minato asked.

"I must eliminate…" the robot paused as she recalled the assignment given to her.

"Shadows, right?" the boy queried her. "Is that lady a Shadow?"

"No…" Aigis tried to come up with a way to explain it to the boy. "Shadows are the enemy of mankind…"

"So you're supposed to protect people," Minato nodded, "by defeating Shadows…" He frowned as something didn't make sense. "If your current mission is to go after that lady, wouldn't that be a contradiction in what you're meant to do? You protect humans from Shadows… And if that woman isn't a Shadow, shouldn't you be protecting her instead of hunting her?"

"I am a machine…" Aigis frowned at herself. "I was created as a weapon… so I must carry out my orders."

"But weapons aren't something you use to hurt others…" Minato shook his head. "A weapon is supposed to be something that protects what's dear to the heart… and I know you have a heart since you saved me…" He lowered his gaze and frowned at the family locket he wore. "That's why… I don't want you becoming a murderer… If you do… that means I'd have to call you a bad guy and go after you…"

The robot stared at him in silence. She slowly allowed the boy's words to sink in before she heard a voice calling out towards them. She tensed up as she spotted someone in the distance.

"Minato?" the brown-haired woman called out.

The boy straightened up. "Mom?"

Kyoko spotted her son and sighed in relief. "Minato!" She began scolding the small boy. "Do you know how worried you made me? What were you thinking coming out here on your own?"

"But I was—" Minato turned towards Aigis but noticed the robot had already disappeared. He scanned the dark street and spotted retreating figure jumping along the rooftops. He noticed it was going in the opposite direction of the car that passed by earlier so he smiled. The boy could sense his mother's anger though as he nervously returned to her side. It was going to be a long ride back to the apartment as he felt an imminent lecture coming on.

* * *

Takuto blinked as the car's engine suddenly died. The streetlamps also went out as the moon lit up the streets with an eerie green glow. He looked out the window and saw that the water underneath Moonlight Bridge turned into dark red blood. Gazing into the other cars on the road, he spotted coffins. "So this is the Dark Hour," he muttered to his wife.

"I didn't expect it to be so creepy," Kyoko said with a light chuckle.

The detectives sighed as they figured they would have to wait it out until it was over, but they didn't expect to hear the terrified scream coming from the backseat of the car. Takuto immediately turned towards his children. "Minato!?"

The seven-year-old boy frightfully stared at the coffin leaning against him. Just seconds ago, it had been his sister. "Hamuko!" He shook his head. "Hamuko! Wake up!" The blue-haired boy looked to the front of the car. "Mom! Dad! Something's happened to Hamuko!" He began trembling as he gazed out the window. "Why is there so much blood outside? Why aren't we moving? What's g-going on!?" He was going ballistic.

Takuto unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. "Minato, calm down!" He opened the backdoor and the boy immediately leapt out to hug him. "Everything will be okay. Remember your training, Shirogane!"

Minato tried to pull himself together and took deep breaths. He closed his eyes and fervently wished that this was all just a nightmare. He calmed down when he felt a familiar hand holding his face. He slowly opened his blue eyes and held back his frightened tears. "M-mom…"

"Look at me, Minato," Kyoko gently smiled at him. "You need to be strong. This will only last a little while, I promise."

"But Hamuko…" The boy glanced back into the car. "Will she be alright?"

"She'll definitely be safe so long as she doesn't come out of that coffin," Takuto nodded reassuringly. "You should be more worried about yourself…"

"Am I in danger?" Minato began to shake. He flinched as he heard a roar in the distance. "W-what was that!?"

Kyoko turned towards Tatsumi Port Island and was surprised by the large tower looming over the artificial landmass. "Takuto…"

The Shirogane detective turned around to see what she was pointing at and his blue eyes widened. "W-what is that?"

Minato felt the man's uneasiness so began to cry. "I-I'm scared…"

"There's nothing to worry about, Minato," Kyoko tried to reassure him. "Just get back in the car." The boy hesitantly stared at the coffin. "She's still your sister, Minato," the woman shook her head. "You need to watch over her. Your father and I need to check this out."

"Don't leave me here alone!" the boy screamed. "I…" He looked around. "I wish we were home… Hamuko and I should never have come…" The boy couldn't control his trembling body as he collapsed to his knees. "Why is this happening?"

"Minato!" Takuto sternly scolded him. "This is not how a Shirogane should ever act!" The boy paused at that. "You are Minato Shirogane, the eldest of the fifth generation of Shirogane detectives. As such, you will behave as a great Shirogane detective would." The strong father placed a hand on the boy's trembling shoulder. "A good detective is undaunted by the dangers of investigation," he said with a brave smile. "If anything happens, your mother and I take care of it," he reassured his son. "Believe in us, Minato. That's the true mark of a Shirogane…"

"I-I'll try…" the blue-haired boy shakily responded with a nod.

"Good," the man smiled at him. "As the oldest, you need to protect your sister, so get back into the car and watch over Hamuko."

Minato nervously looked at the coffin but he decided to suck it up and listen to his parents. He carefully crawled into the car and closed the door behind him. He frowned at the coffin as he put on his seatbelt before curling into a little ball. "Hamuko…" he whined.

Takuto and Kyoko walked to the side of the bridge and gazed into the distance. They took a few minutes to gather their bearings before deliberating the situation. The brown-haired detective crossed her arms. "So what do you make of this?"

"That must be Tartarus," her husband guessed as he pointed at the obtrusive tower. "That _is_ where Gekkoukan was…" He frowned as another roar echoed throughout the silent city. "And that must be Death being created…"

"But we were told that the experiment was going to end in failure. She couldn't have been wrong…"

"Maybe—" Takuto flinched when a loud explosion erupted from the distant island. "No way…" he muttered as multiple roars and groans sounded from the explosion site. A number of dark blurs spread out from the epicenter of destruction and he guessed they were escaping Shadows. "This isn't good!"

"Takuto, the car!" Kyoko sharply pulled on his arm as she hurried back to their probably petrified son.

Indeed the boy was slowly losing his mind. The blue-haired boy rocked back and forth as he counted the seconds that crept passed. "Why can't time move faster?" He let out a sob and tucked his head between his knees. He paused as he noticed his family locket. "O-oh yeah… I still have this…"

He frowned as he opened it up. In the dim light, he could make out his grandparents and parents in the back as his sisters and he stood in the foreground. It was their most recent family portrait as Minato made it a point to update the picture every year. The seven of them made up the small but proud Shirogane family and Minato felt a bit of courage stir within him as he remembered who he was.

"That's right…" Minato muttered into his locket. "I'm Minato Shirogane. I am a fifth generation Shirogane detective…" the frightened boy reminded himself. "I won't be afraid… So long as I have my family, I'll be fine… This locket is supposed to be proof of my courage…" The seven-year-old lifted his head as soon as he heard his parents' footsteps coming towards the car.

"Minato!" Kyoko opened the door into the passenger's seat. "How are you doing?"

"B-better," the small boy nodded as he continued to hold onto his necklace. He worriedly stared at his mom. "C-can we go yet?"

Takuto sighed as he got back into the driver's seat. "Not yet. It'll be over soon though." The man flinched when the bridge shook.

Minato tensed up. "What was that?" He slowly sat up and gazed out the window to see a giant dense mass of darkness coming straight for them.

"Minato!" Someone screamed, but the boy couldn't make out who it was.

He didn't really know what happened next. A loud boom rang in his ears and he could hear metal scraping against the pavement as he was jostled inside the car. Bright red light filled his vision as heat engulfed the cramped quarters he was in. He vaguely felt the sensation of being in freefall, but other than that, he couldn't make out anything else. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself suspended in the air by his seatbelt. His face was only millimeters from the cold, hard asphalt. His locket dangled in front of him and he frowned when he noticed he didn't close it after looking at it previously, resulting in the picture partially burning. He couldn't move but he could feel something warm dripping onto his head and onto the ground.

After a few seconds of blankly staring at the red liquid, he figured it was blood. The boy frowned though as he couldn't feel any injuries on his person. When it slowly dawned on him who it belonged to, he let out a bloodcurdling scream as he realized he could no longer hear his parent's worried cries. He nearly passed out from the shock but he felt someone dragging his body out of the burning wreck. He brought his arms up to cover his face as he was flipped to his back and pulled out. The bright flames blinded him and when he was away from the car, he lowered his hands to see a familiar face.

"You are safe…" Aigis smiled down at him in relief.

"M-my parents!?" Minato got into a sitting position. "My sister!?"

He stared at the car and noticed a wispy being standing over the wreckage. Its body lacked form and the boy thought it looked incomplete. He likened it to a grim reaper as it stood over the overturned car.

The boy's fear boiled into panicked hysteria as he scrambled to get to his feet. "Hamuko!?" he screamed as he launched his small body forward. "I'm coming to get you!" Aigis pulled him back though, causing him to roar in frustration. "Let me go!" He sharply jerked his arm free from her grip and ducked the Shadow trying to lunge at him.

"Engaging Shadow!" Aigis tackled into the beast, allowing the boy to reach his sister.

"Hamuko!" Minato freed the safety belt holding his sister's coffin up but as soon as he touched the cold wood, she transformed. He was a bit surprised but he didn't have time to worry about that right now. He focused only on bringing her to safety, away from the burning car. "Hamuko! Wake up!"

The brunette slowly stirred and carefully opened up her eyes. She felt an intense flame in front of her as she was dragged along the ground. Lifting her head, she saw her brother weakly carrying her away from a wrecked car. Her red eyes widened as she couldn't believe what was happening. "N-nii-san…!?"

"Hamuko…" Minato was glad she was awake. "Y-you're safe," he shakily said as tears filled his eyes. He looked back at the car. _Then does that mean…?_ "Mom! Dad!" He ran back towards the massive ball of fire.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko screamed as she grabbed her brother and pulled him back, afraid he'd hurt himself. "No!"

Her older twin looked back at her in fear and confusion. "Hamuko! Mom and Dad…" He clenched his fists. "They're still in the car! I have to save them!"

The brunette shook her head as she noticed the blood pooling beneath the car. They were dead. She knew that. She couldn't lose her brother too, especially since he just risked his life to save her. "No! You can't!" She tightly hugged him. "Don't leave me alone too!" She sobbed into his chest. "Mom! Dad! They're already gone! Please…" she begged her twin. "Don't leave me by myself…"

Minato looked down at the girl and began crying too. "B-but…!" He looked back towards the car. "This is all my fault…" He tightly held onto his sister. "We should never have been here… If I didn't sneak out of the car, we'd have been home already. If I didn't ask to come with Mom and Dad, they'd still be alive!" He let out an anguished scream. "It's my fault they're gone!" He forcefully pried Hamuko off of him and ran towards the wreckage. "D-dammit!"

The brunette threw her body towards him and held him back. "Nii-san!" She flinched as the car before them exploded. Minato flinched and protectively shielded her as they toppled into the middle of the bridge's road. "Oof!" Her head hurt as it collided against the ground. "Nii-san…" she weakly looked up at her brother and placed a hand on his face. "Please… don't leave me too…"

Minato held onto her tightly as she slowly closed her eyes. "Hamuko… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he meekly muttered to her. "Don't die… Please… I swear you'll be safe! I'll protect you with my life if I have to!" When she no longer responded, he let out another scream. He cried to himself until he sensed someone standing over him. He glared up at the badly damaged robot. "Did you… kill it?" he bitterly asked.

Aigis held a dark mass in her hands and shook her head. "Death appears… undefeatable… I weakened it but…" she sadly lowered her gaze. "I am not strong enough to destroy it. I must seal it away… and move to destroy it from there…" Aigis stared at the dying girl and considered using her.

"Seal it?" Minato climbed off his unconscious sister. "So like a vessel, right?" He struggled to stand up. "Use me…"

"You…?" the robot stared at him oddly. "But your sister…"

"Use me!" the boy declared. "I…" he painfully scowled at himself. "It's my fault Mom and Dad are gone… and I won't let Hamuko die… I don't deserve to live anymore…" His blue eyes angrily flashed. "So use me!"

Aigis hesitated but nodded as she had no other choice. She held the Shadow before the boy and sealed Death inside of him. Minato screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. He writhed a bit before weakly laughing.

"It hurts…" he complained. "But… I don't care…" Sudden exhaustion washed over him as he stared at Hamuko. "I'll… protect you… I'll… take responsibility… for killing our parents…" He reached his hand out towards her. "You'll be just fine… sis…" He finally passed out.

The Anti-Shadow robot scanned the boy and picked up an unstable Shadow reading from him. She aimed her arm at him, preparing to fire, but found she couldn't do it. The Shadow's power threatened to leak out of him, wanting to break free of its new prison, but the blonde girl only continued to stare at him. Looking over towards Hamuko, Aigis frowned as she sensed the brown-haired girl was on the brink of death. The robot lowered her gun and resealed the Shadow again, seeing as the boy couldn't fully contain its power within him and it was his wish that his sister survive this ordeal. When she was done, she studied the two unconscious twins and tried to embed their data deep within her memory banks.

 _A weapon to protect…_ she recalled the boy's words from before as she collapsed to the ground. _I will protect you both… That is my new mission…_

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So yeah... Hamuko should have died, leaving Minato on his own. I guess if Aigis used Hamuko instead, she would have really shot her but Minato being as reckless as he is would have gotten himself killed trying to protect his sister, prompting Aigis to want to protect Hamuko in his stead. As for Naoto, she was left behind and raised as an only child... Only getting to see her older siblings about once a year... Oh, I should probably explain the names I chose for their parents and grandparents. So for Hiroto and Takuto, I wanted names that suited them yet still ended in the syllable "-to". Probably a Shirogane tradition or something since that passed on to Naoto and Minato. If Hamuko took after their dad, I'm pretty sure I would have named her Makoto. That goes in hand with Naoto's name meaning "truthful person" since Makoto would mean "true". The characters I imagine for Hiroto would mean "esteemed flight", referencing Ursa Major and his tendency to follow superstitions. Haruka means "distance" and it complements the whole flight thing of her husband. But she's not important considering I'm pretty sure Minato killed her with his new curse. Takuto means "brilliant person" since it complemented Kyoko's name which means "mirror child". I chose Kyoko's name as she would be a reflection of truth and courage. Plus, I also might have named her after Kyoko Kuremi in Digimon Cyber Sleuth and Kyoko Kirigiri in Danganronpa, both of whom are amazing detectives.


	46. Just How Should We Die?

**Author's Notes:** December is the worst month of the game because nothing happens... Hamuko and Minato still have friends to Social Link while the rest of the team is kinda mentally gone. It also doesn't help that Ryoji isn't present much in December...

* * *

~3 DECEMBER 2009~

Hamuko was the first into the command room and she immediately spotted Ryoji sitting on the far sofa, hanging his head. "Ryoji-kun…"

The boy's head immediately shot up to the brunette. A smile automatically appeared on his face before he remembered the situation. "Hamuko-chan…" His blue eyes went towards the blank-faced boy beside her. "Minato-kun…"

Mitsuru watched as everyone filed in and took a seat. "Is everyone present?" she asked as she did a headcount.

Fuuka looked over at Ryoji worriedly. "Are you okay, Ryoji-kun?"

The boy flashed her a smile, one similar to Minato's reassuring smirk. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks," he nodded to the kind girl. He knit his eyebrows together. "Besides, there's more I have to tell you guys."

Yukari sighed. "Ryoji-kun…"

Mitsuru nodded at the boy. "There are many questions we need answered. To begin with, you said Shadows were here to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being…" she frowned as it all sounded very vague. "Please elaborate on this."

"This maternal being is called Nyx," Ryoji stated with his eyes closed.

"Who the hell's Nyx…?" Junpei frowned.

An uncharacteristic look of seriousness painted over Ryoji's face as he explained. "Nyx is the mother of Shadows. In ancient times, she bestowed 'Death' to this world." He sensed Hamuko and Minato tense up at that. "If she is awakened, darkness will once again cover the land, and all life will vanish."

Akihiko straightened up. "All life will vanish!?"

Mitsuru's frown deepened. "Are you saying… everyone will die!?"

Ryoji shook his head. "It would be more accurate to say that…" his eyes scanned the group around him, "Everyone will forfeit the will to live."

The redhead clenched her teeth. "Are you talking about the Lost!?" Looking around SEES, she noticed everyone quickly came to the same conclusion as she did. If all humans became the Lost, it would lead into the extinction of mankind, as well as the end of the world. "The Fall…"

Yukari clenched her fists. "But, it's still possible to keep it from happening, right?" She stared at Ryoji expectantly, but he just lowered his gaze. "Wh-what…? There's no way to prevent it…?"

"I'm sorry…" the blue-eyed boy softly stated.

"Wait," the archer frowned, "what're you apologizing for!? Are you saying it's for certain!?"

"Yes…" Ryoji nodded hesitantly. "You heard the bell… I'm The Appriser… The Appriser of Death… My existence is the affirmation of the Fall."

Fuuka felt a chill run through her. "The affirmation… of the Fall…"

Everyone became silent as they feared the inevitable. Minato found it difficult to breathe as the tension suffocated him. He blinked as something about this felt familiar. Something flashed before his eyes and he blinked. _That's right… This fear is the same as the one back then… Back when I could see the Reapers…_ This wasn't quite the same as before though, he noticed. Somehow, this was worse thanks to everyone sharing the cold sense of dread and despair. And unlike the Reapers which were a good indicator of Death and could be prevented, Minato knew that this time, Death would come for sure.

Akihiko noticed his own body trembling but he grabbed his arm and forced himself to calm down. "When!?" he asked Ryoji in panic. "When will it happen!?"

Ryoji frowned as he considered whether or not to tell them. He glanced over towards Minato and Hamuko but became confused. The brunette seemed terrified for her life as Minato locked himself away from the world again. It pained Ryoji to see them that way, but he finally spoke. "I'm afraid you will not live to see spring…"

Junpei freaked out. "But, that's not too far away!" He looked over to the seniors and Yukari sitting across from him, hoping they'd say something, but noticed they remained silent as identical looks of terror filled their faces. Junpei tried to laugh. "Wh-what're you guys freaking out about? All we have to do is defeat this Nyx!" He put on a smirk. "And that won't be a problem cuz we've never lost!" He turned towards Hamuko. "Right?"

The brunette lifted her arms to hold her head. "Is that possible…?" she asked in a broken whisper.

Her best friend's smile faltered as he tried to get Minato to say something. "D-dude…?"

Minato shook his head as he drowned in his fear. "Defeating Nyx is… impossible…" Everyone looked up at their leader in surprise. "Death is inevitable…"

The capped boy's eyes widened as the blue-haired boy's words only seemed to make things worse. "H-hey, c'mon! That's not the leader I know!"

Ryoji stared at the twins painfully before trying to explain things to Junpei. "It has nothing to do with strength, ability, or power," he stated as he shook his head. "Just as all living things die… and the flow of time is continuous… Nyx cannot be defeated. Minato understands this better than anyone…"

Junpei refused to acknowledge that. "What…? That's bullshit!" the capped boy exclaimed.

Ken frowned to himself. "This is all so sudden…"

Ryoji looked at them all seriously. "I was born from a collection of Shadows. But now, I have a human form…" He smiled. "So I can talk with you, laugh with you, cry with you… All gifts I received because I was inside them," he nodded to Hamuko and Minato. "Of all the people on Earth, it was them who carried me…" He closed his eyes as an idea came to him. "Thanks to that… I am able to give you a choice."

"A choice…?" Yukari was surprised.

"Nyx's coming cannot be avoided," Ryoji continued. "But, it is possible to live in peace until she arrives. You'll have to…" he hesitated as he looked the twins in the eyes, "kill me." Both twins stared at him incredulously. "If I were to disappear, all memories of the Dark Hour would disappear with me, as would any recollection of the fate that awaits you. You won't remember anything. The coming of the Fall will be instantaneous… and you will not suffer."

Mitsuru considered this. "We'll forget everything?"

Ryoji nodded in response. "You'll be able to return to your normal lives. And in doing so, the time until the Fall will be slightly delayed. In essence, I am the same as Nyx and cannot be killed. But thanks to them, there's a part of me that's 'human'. So, if death comes from one of their hands, I think it may be possible." He refused to look away from the twins.

Fuuka studied Minato's pained face before looking back at Ryoji. She sadly lowered her gaze as this was a difficult decision. "Ryoji-kun…"

"If you don't kill me, you will suffer more than you could ever imagine," the raven-haired boy sadly stated. "With no hope for salvation, you will live everyday paralyzed by the fear of your impending death. And I…" he clenched his fists. "I don't want you to have to endure such pain."

Hamuko found it difficult to breathe as the fear clouded her mind. "I don't know what to do…"

"Yeah…" Fuuka agreed.

Yukari shook her head. "I don't want my memories to be erased," she stated. "To forget everything would be like hiding from the truth!"

Ryoji turned to her. "Would that really be such a bad thing?" he asked. "All that awaits you now is despair. You don't know the terror of absolute death…!" He looked over to Minato as he knew the blue-haired junior understood. "Tell them! You've carried me inside you for all this time! Because of me, you saw Death come time and time again!"

"What does he mean by that, Yuki-san?" Ken stared at their leader. "You… can see Death?"

"You didn't have to bring that up, Ryoji…" Minato said with a frown. "Sensing when others die isn't something I take pride in…" He hung his head, causing his bangs to fall over his face. "It's scary…" the junior mumbled, "To sense Death on someone yet be unable to stop it…"

"W-what?" Yukari stared at her friend in disbelief. "All this time, you could do that? And you never told us?"

"What was the point!?" Minato snapped his head up. "Bringing them up wouldn't have changed anything! I saw Reapers on Shinji-nii and Chidori from the very beginning and look at where we are now…" Hamuko tensed up beside him as he mentioned Shinjiro while Junpei angrily glared at the ground. "Even if I can no longer see them, nothing's changed. Right now, I'm sure all of us are marked… No one can stop Death…"

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Junpei demanded to know.

Hamuko quickly defended her brother. "Back off, Junpei," she glared at her best friend. "He…" she glanced over at her despondent twin, "doesn't know… None of us do…"

"Hamuko-chan…" Ryoji frowned as it was strange to see her so uncertain. He turned back to the rest of the team. "Please," Ryoji begged them, "don't make your decision without at least thinking about what I've said."

Ken shook his head. "Why is this happening!?"

"You don't have to decide right now," the raven-haired boy told the team as he stood up. "You have until December 31st, New Year's Eve, to think about it. After that, I'll dissolve into the blackness of the Dark Hour and become intangible."

"Ryoji…?" Junpei frowned at him.

"I will disappear with the coming of Nyx anyways…" the Shadow boy sighed. "So, don't worry about me. I'll be back on New Year's Eve…" He left the room and Junpei tried to go after him.

"H-hey, Ryoji, wait!" The capped boy blinked when it seemed like Ryoji just disappeared into the dark hallway.

Yukari frowned to herself. "Ryoji-kun…"

Everyone remained silent until Mitsuru decided it was time the meeting was dissolved. "We will see him again, on New Year's Eve…" She slowly got up and started for the door, glancing back at the twins as she did so.

* * *

~7 DECEMBER 2009~

Aigis's form appeared in the crystal ball. "A girl falls under the full moon…" Den Mother frowned. "A boy walks amidst shadow; and the boy himself is shadow…" Ryoji stood alone in the darkness before transforming into Thanatos. "Children who bear shadows within…" Minato stared as two small children appeared, only to be swallowed by the dark void. "The immense Shadow approaches… Its depth unfathomable; its extent without limit…" The fortune teller frowned as it was getting harder and harder to make out anything from the murky blackness. "It comes to end all things… The darkness hidden by the shining heavens…" She looked up at Minato in worry. "How will you stand against such a fate…?"

Minato frowned to himself as he was still a bit uncertain with his decision. "I don't know…"

The woman gave him a sympathetic stare as it was a rather difficult choice. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

The blue-haired boy bowed to her before making his way back to the dorm. He took the long way as he really didn't look forward to the stuffy atmosphere of his home. Everyone was so depressed and quiet that it was suffocating.

Minato tried to bring it up a few times, but the conversations were rather short-lived as nobody wanted to face the reality of the situation. The leader himself was also at a loss. He could either forget about the Dark Hour or attempt to face the embodiment of Death. Either way, he was going to die.

Personally, Minato thought both options were equally horrible. _If I end up choosing to forget, it kind of undermines the whole point of me getting back my memories of the accident,_ he frowned. _I finally just learned how Mom and Dad actually died. I can't just give that up so easily…_

 _But that knowledge came at a price. I was the one who killed them… I'm responsible for their deaths. I might have saved Hamuko, but I was the one who led to Mom and Dad losing their lives. I know now that I don't deserve to be alive. There's no longer a point for me to keep going…_

 _Maybe it'd be best to forget… I'd be able to live that happy, Reaper-free life I used to always dream about. That doesn't sound too bad. Ryoji said the Fall would be instantaneous. I wouldn't have to suffer… I mean, would there really be a point fighting Nyx if we're going to die anyways?_

 _Nyx, the thirteenth Shadow… Or rather, the mother of all Shadows… To think that was Death's true form. Can I really face something like that? Death is inevitable; I know that the best. I'm too afraid to even imagine what kind of enemy she can be if she embodies that truth…_

 _And even if I want to fight Nyx, that doesn't mean everyone else would support me. Maybe they want to forget too. If I fight, who would stand by me? Hamuko and Fuuka, sure… but would they be enough? Definitely not. I'm pretty sure it'll take more than a Fusion Spell to stop Nyx. And Fuuka can't fight. If Hamuko and I go down, I pretty much doomed her. Koromaru is a possible option to consider since he's as loyal as anyone I could ever hope for, but other than him, who else?_

 _Everyone's terrified. It'd be great if we were all on the same page and wanted to fight, but it's not that simple. It's a hopeless battle and I'm asking them to throw away their lives. They're not like me. They_ have _reasons to live. They_ deserve _a chance to be happy…_

 _Mitsuru-senpai who was the first of us to get her Persona… She lost her childhood and father to the Dark Hour. Akihiko-san who lost his younger sister and Shinji-nii… Ken who lost his mother… Koromaru who lost his master… Yukari who lost her father… Junpei who lost Chidori… And Fuuka… Can I really put her through the pain of losing me to the Dark Hour?_

 _Perhaps, it is best if we all forget… Forget the pain. Forget the fighting. Just forget everything about the Dark Hour… We'll have our pseudo-happily ever after and die peacefully. That doesn't sound so bad._ Minato groaned. _Who am I kidding? It's a horrible idea, but… so long as someone gives into the despair of imminent Death, we have no chance to even face Nyx, let alone defeat her._

With his mind made up, the junior dragged his feet as he continued down Moonlight Bridge. To fill the silence, Minato slipped on his headphones. He paused as the first song that came up was one he didn't expect. The soft melancholy melody of the piano crisply played in his ears. _"Sleep walk, my eyelids are lured to the darkness of memories~ Like snow softly killing a flower~ I should've known nothing repeats~ The hands of time erase me~ However, it's strange that I'm crying from the bottom of my heart~"_

Minato kept his head down as he increased his pace. He could feel something within his chest stir as tears began streaming down his cheeks without warning. _Am I really okay with forgetting though?_

 _"I can see the brilliance in everything mundane~ Even in the smoky air of the crowded streets~ Since I don't want to lose the burning glimmer of everyday moments~ I start to walk~"_

 _The Dark Hour is what brought us together in the first place… If we forget that, what would that do to us?_ More questions filled his mind but he couldn't bring himself to stop the song as he drowned in doubt. _Iwatodai Dormitory is filled with the people who first welcomed Hamuko and me here. For the past year, we lived together, ate together, walked to school together,_ had fun together _… We aren't just bound to each other because of the Dark Hour, but I wouldn't have come to know them without it. Can I really allow myself to forget how we met and bonded?_

As he became lost in his thoughts, he missed the song's second verse, but the sharp chorus cut through his mind. _"I can see the brilliance in the mundane tomorrows~ It's the same voices, the same meetings; that's all it is~ Pain grazes this life of mine~ Brightly lights it and strokes it, so now I start to walk~"_

Minato found himself stopped in the middle of Moonlight Bridge. He blankly stared at the familiar site as he took in a deep breath. Images of the burning car, his parents, Hamuko, Aigis, and Death flashed before him, but he looked past all of that as he gazed out towards the glimmering ocean. His blue eyes widened as he never noticed how beautiful it was.

It may have been his imagination, but he thought he could hear Ryoji's voice. _"It's so beautiful, it hurts…"_

"It is…" The blue-haired boy cracked a small smile. "But that's what makes life so worth it, Ryoji…"

 _"Someone's love song resounded merrily in the desolate winter~ As if it were my own, my heart trembles~"_

Minato faced the end of the bridge. "I can see the brilliance in everything mundane~ Even in the breath of the moment when we hold hands~ Since I don't want to lose the burning glimmer of everyday moments~ I start to walk~" His hands went up to his headphones and he nodded to himself. "I refuse to forget. I refuse to believe Nyx is undefeatable. I refuse to give up on my family!"

When he finally got back to the dorm, Fuuka was the first to greet him as she looked up from her laptop. "Hi, how was your day?" she tried to asked with a smile. After a while, it was replaced with a frown. "U-um… Try to cheer up."

Minato wryly smirked. "I'm not down," he reassured her.

Fuuka was a bit surprised by that as she studied his calm face. "O-oh, okay then," she lowered her gaze. "U-um… Sorry, Minato-kun, I know you're strong…"

"Only because of you, Fuuka," he nodded as he pulled down his headphones. He seriously looked into her brown eyes. "So thank you…"

"Huh?" the girl blushed as that came out of nowhere. "Oh, you're welcome…" Thinking something was wrong, she continued to search his face for anything out of place, but she noticed Minato's blue eyes gleaming in a new determination she had never seen before.

"Fuuka, what's wrong?" he asked as he got closer to her. "Are you feeling sick? Or maybe this whole Nyx thing is getting to you?"

"Sorry," she shook her head at him. "I guess I'm the one who's most confused…" The teal-haired girl noticed Minato pausing to consider something. Thinking he must have been considering their options too, she asked him for his opinion. "So, Minato-kun, have you decided what you're going to do…?"

The boy blinked before he put on a small smile. "Yes, I have," he nodded.

Fuuka managed to smile at that. "You're so brave, Minato-kun," she said in admiration. She shook though as she wished she could share his courage. "But, I'm scared…"

"Fuuka…" Minato gently took her hands and pressed them to his lips. "I'm scared too, but I won't let that stop me from doing what I think is right. As your 'harbor of courage' I'll be here, Fuuka. No matter what happens, I'll always love you… I won't leave you, ever."

The girl threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Minato-kun…" She frowned though as she still couldn't decide for herself what she wanted. "What are we going to do…?"

"It'll be alright," her boyfriend reassured her. Minato frowned though as he realized he would have to allow everyone else to come to terms with fighting on their own.

* * *

~10 DECEMBER 2009~

The entire dorm gathered around the table to hold another meeting. Everyone remained silent though as nobody knew where to start. Eventually, Yukari let out a sigh as she decided to be the one to start the meeting. "Well, it's been a week. What're we going to do?" She glanced over at the teal-haired junior beside her. "You okay, Fuuka?"

The quiet girl lifted her head in surprise as she stared at the archer. "You just seem so calm…"

"We have to make a decision," Yukari frowned. "I mean, it's been such a drag around here lately, and no one will go to Tartarus…"

Mitsuru nodded in agreement. "You're right. We humans are quite resilient. We can adapt to any situation, given enough time." She looked at the rest of the team. "So, how about it, everyone? Why don't we talk about it?"

Junpei remained silent as he didn't know what to say. Ken frowned as the older kids didn't seem to want to be here, so he glanced towards Akihiko. "Have you made your decision, Sanada-san?" the young boy asked.

"No…" the boxer shook his head. "But, I don't plan on running away."

"So you're going to fight Nyx?" Mitsuru looked at her peer.

"I don't know," Akihiko frowned. "I mean, it's supposedly undefeatable. What about you?" He looked into her red eyes. "What are your thoughts on it?"

"Honestly," the Student Council President sighed, "this is the first time I've ever really contemplated my own death… It's quite a sobering thought." She frowned. "I don't want to suffer… and I don't want to kill Ryoji. But, either way, we still die. So, there is no simple answer."

Fuuka studied everyone's expressions and saw they shared the same sentiments. "Then, do we all agree that we don't want to hurt Ryoji-kun?"

"Is that how you feel?" Akihiko asked their navigator.

"Well, I, um…" she frowned as killing Ryoji didn't quite bode well with her especially since the raven-haired boy resembled someone very precious to her. She looked over towards Minato to see what he was thinking. Lately, he's been so quiet but his eyes still glowed in that strange odd fashion. It was like he was waiting for something to happen, but Fuuka couldn't tell whether it was because he wanted to forget or fight. She lowered her gaze and sighed.

Yukari gave Fuuka a wry smile. "It's okay, Fuuka. I mean, it's not natural to choose how you're going to die…" The archer glanced up at the capped boy across from them. "What about you, Junpei? Have you decided?"

"No…" he simply responded.

"What's the matter?" Yukari tried teasing him. "Scared?"

Junpei's eyes snapped towards her. "What the hell do you mean by that?" he asked. "You think this is a joke?"

Surprised by his reaction, Yukari frowned. "Junpei, I…"

"We're going to die!" he yelled. "Of course I'm scared!" He glared at everyone else. "You all need to wake up! This is death we're talking about here!"

Everyone remained silent as they didn't have anything to say in response to his outburst. Mitsuru shook her head as she tried to keep things under control. "Then, what do you want to do?" she asked the junior. "Do you want to kill him?"

Junpei shook his head. "There's nothing I CAN do… The only ones who can kill him are…" he glared at the red-eyed junior sitting next to him. "Hamuko…" He scowled as he turned on his best friend. The brunette blinked as the boy suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did you ever notice…? You had that thing inside you and you didn't notice…?" He shook the girl. "Can't… Can't you do anything about it!?"

Hamuko could feel herself wanting to cry. "How could I have known!?" the co-leader asked him. "Do you think this is easy for me?"

"Junpei…!" Yukari tried to break it up, but paused when Minato shook his head.

"Leave her alone, Junpei!" the blue-haired boy sternly stated. He stood behind the couch, directly behind the capped junior. "If you want someone to blame, then blame me. Hamuko never had a choice in this."

His sister turned her head to look at him. "Nii-san…"

Junpei frowned to himself as he mulled over his thoughts. "Come to think of it, you were the one who saw 'Death'…" He stood up to face their leader. "You raised it, dammit! This is all your fault! So you should do something about it!" His grey eyes angrily flashed as he punched Minato, causing the shorter boy to stagger backwards. "You're supposed to be 'special', right!?" His voice cracked from fear.

"Minato!" Hamuko quickly got up, but she stopped as soon as her brother motioned for her to remain in place.

"It's okay, Hamuko," he wryly smiled. "I deserve at least this much…" He lifted his gaze up at the capped junior. "Junpei's afraid… We all are… but I won't run away." Minato slowly picked himself up off the ground. "That's why… I already made a decision."

Everyone looked at their leader in surprise. Junpei shook his head. "How the hell can you be so calm!?" he angrily asked the blue-eyed junior. Without thinking, he pulled Minato over the back of the couch by his uniform jacket. "We're going to die, you bastard! You think this is a game!?"

Yukari shook her head as she couldn't watch anymore of their fight. "Stop it, Junpei!"

Hamuko grabbed her best friend's arm. "Junpei, let him go!"

"Let's not get into another fight!" Fuuka quickly shook her head. "We're all friends, aren't we?" she tried to defuse the situation.

"Friends?" Minato frowned at that. "I think you have it a bit wrong, Fuuka." He steadily looked into Junpei's fearful grey eyes. "You guys are my family… The first real family Hamuko and I have had in years… That's why… I can't afford to hesitate. Both options lead to death, but there's one I could never pick." Sadness filled his blue eyes. "Not if it means losing my family…"

"Y-you…" Junpei glared at him but finally let the shorter boy go. The taller junior lowered his gaze as he took a moment to recollect himself.

Everyone remained silent as they had a feeling they knew what Minato wanted but no one dared to voice it aloud. It was a suicide mission after all. When everyone calmed down enough, Yukari shook her head as she looked back towards Junpei. "It's not their fault… Them carrying it is the only reason we even have this choice!"

Junpei forced himself to look away from the rest of the team. "I know that, dammit! But…" Junpei faltered. "In my head, I might know…"

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Junpei," Yukari apologized. "I was just trying to lighten up the situation." She looked at the rest of SEES as they stared at Hamuko worriedly. "Personally, I don't want to forget everything. I've learned so much since coming here."

Minato smiled at that. "That's right," he calmly nodded as he looked over his team. "I still stand by what I said before. Despite all that's happened, I don't regret joining SEES."

Junpei hung his head as he remembered one of his original reasons for moving into the dorm. "I've never really talked about this before, but… My old man was an alcoholic. He started drinking after he was tricked into investing his life savings in some telemarketing scam. He drank until he passed out, so he didn't have to face reality… And I hated him for it…" He began trembling. "Now, I understand how he felt. Everything seems hopeless… I'm so scared!"

Fuuka nodded in understanding. "I know how you feel, Junpei-kun. I'm scared too."

"Yeah," Akihiko sighed, "we're all scared."

"Yes…" Mitsuru shivered. "I… I can't stop shaking."

"Me either…" Yukari hugged herself.

Junpei looked at everyone and noticed they all felt the same way he did. "Yuka-tan…" He frowned to himself. "I'm sorry I kept yelling like that…"

Yukari shook her head. "I don't think any of us could have stood up to you right now, Junpei…" She tried to smile. "So don't worry about it. Right, Hamuko?"

Hamuko couldn't bring herself to look at the others. "I'm sorry…"

Junpei shook his head. "You don't have to apologize… I know this isn't your fault… and it's not your brother's either." He frowned as he looked at his hurting knuckles. "I didn't mean to lash out at you earlier." The capped boy pulled his cap down. "And Minato…"

"It's fine, Junpei," the blue-haired boy shook his head. He studied the rest of the dorm and sighed. "You're all still trying to work out for yourselves what you want. I won't force you all to join me, but just know that I won't change my mind. I fully intend to take responsibility and I won't run. You're all important to me and I don't want to lose these bonds…"

Mitsuru smiled at his words but decided that this was a good place to end the meeting. "Alright," she sighed, "I don't think we're prepared to make a decision just yet," she addressed everyone else. "Ryoji said he'll be back on New Year's Eve, so we still have time to think about it." She looked at all of SEES. "So until then, let's just try to live our lives as normally as possible."

* * *

~13 DECEMBER 2009~

Hamuko looked up from her textbook when she heard someone knocking. Lowering her headphones she waited a few minutes.

"Hamuko?" She made out her brother's muffled voice. "It's me."

"Come in," she called out.

Minato let himself in and closed the door behind him. He spotted the schoolwork on her desk and smiled. "Studying?"

"I don't really see the point, but it makes for a good distraction," Hamuko sighed.

"That's not a good attitude to have," her brother smirked as he took a seat on her bed. "You need to keep your grades up if you want to be a doctor, Hamuko."

The brunette frowned at him. "Nii-san…"

The blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side. "Don't tell me you've given up…"

"It's not that," his younger sister shook her head. "I really don't want to talk about this, nii-san."

"But we have to," Minato crossed his arms. "Ever since we remembered what happened, we've been avoiding it all this time and I said before that I don't want to run from this."

"You also said you intend to take full responsibility," Hamuko looked at him worriedly. "Nii-san, it's not your fault Mom and Dad died." She watched as the smile on his face disappeared and was replaced with a guilty frown. "All of the things you keep blaming yourself for… None of it is your fault. Us carrying Death… Us always moving around because of a relative or close friend dying… The Fall…" Hamuko began shaking as a familiar fear grew within her. "The reason I could never leave you alone is because I've always known you hated yourself since that night…"

"I…" Her older brother knit his eyebrows together. "N-no… that isn't… I don't…"

"Minato," she shook her head. "It's why you're so reckless with your own life. You never take into account your own wellbeing because you feel like you don't deserve to be alive." Hamuko tried to keep herself together so she wouldn't cry, but she did let out a shaky breath. "I don't want you to die, Minato. I want you to live… I don't want to lose you too…"

"I know…" the boy lifted his gaze and wore a small smile. He paused as he considered something. "I've always felt the same about you."

"M-me?" she stared at him oddly.

"Yeah…" Minato looked around her room. "That accident should have killed you… At the hospital, you were in critical condition for a long time… It's only because Aigis ended up splitting Death between us that you survived… But even then, I was always afraid you'd die anyways. That's why I was so adamant about protecting you in any way I can."

"Yeah," Hamuko smiled. "I've always known that too…"

"Then why did you never talk to me about this?" the older brother asked her with a frown on his face.

"Because telling you then would have just made things worse… You were always so concerned with me that you tend to forget about yourself. We were both cowards," Hamuko hugged herself, "but while you accepted that truth, I denied it. That's why I was always trying so hard to stay strong… for the both of us. It's hard trying to handle everything with a smile though…

"You didn't have to try so hard for my sake…" Minato lowered his gaze.

"Well, it wasn't just for you… I wanted to make the most of my life…" the brunette frowned. "I just also thought that… if you saw me doing my best, you'd eventually do the same too."

"We really are each other's greatest weakness…" Minato fell backwards onto the bed and painfully groaned. "A girl who's supposed to be dead and a boy who doesn't deserve to be alive… What messed up lives we both have…"

"That doesn't change the fact that we _are_ alive," Hamuko sternly stated. "We're here, aren't we? And we're together. That's good enough, right?"

"I wonder…" Minato mused as he stared at the ceiling. "Do I really want to settle for 'good enough'?" he asked himself aloud.

The brunette studied him for a moment. "You want to fight Nyx, don't you?" she asked him.

"Yeah, of course I do," her brother answered, shifting his head to stare at the Pyro Jack Doll at the corner of the bed. "I won't look away from the truth or run away." Minato reached his arm out towards the plush. "What about you? Do you want to forget everything about the Dark Hour?"

"That doesn't sound so bad," Hamuko crossed her arms.

The blue-haired junior frowned as he pulled the doll towards him and stared at the smiling pumpkin-faced troublemaker. "I understand if you want to forget you ever loved Ryoji, but can you really say you wouldn't mind forgetting Shinji-nii?"

"What?" the brunette stared at her brother in surprise as he rocked himself into an upright sitting position.

Minato lightly tossed the stuffed toy up and caught it. "Hm… What an interesting doll… Did you have this when we moved in?"

"No…" she shook her head. "Shinji-kun helped me win it during the Summer Festival…"

"Huh… I won a Jack Frost Doll for Fuuka back then," her brother smirked as he fondly recalled that memory. "That was my first date with her…" He threw the doll into the air again, only this time, Hamuko pulled it away from him.

"Hey… leave Pyro Shinji alone," the girl said with a slight frown.

"You named it," Minato blinked, "after him?"

"Well, we weren't dating yet and I wanted something to remember him by," Hamuko told her brother. "I didn't know he would have rejoined SEES to watch over Ken-kun…" She brought the doll to her chest and looked down at her wrist watch. "There's no way I could ever forget Shinji-kun… I don't care if we forget the Dark Hour, but Shinji-kun is important to me…"

"You only met Shinji-nii _because_ of the Dark Hour," Minato reminded her. "You can't honestly think you won't forget him…" He shivered as he considered what would happen if he forgot the Dark Hour. His hands automatically reached for his headphones.

"Are you afraid of forgetting Fuuka-chan?" his sister asked him.

"I'm afraid of forgetting I love her," he admitted. "What if she forgets about me too?" he worriedly asked.

Hamuko frowned to herself as she began playing with her headphones. "The two of you love each other so much… There's no way you'd forget about those feelings you share…"

"But so long as that possibility exists, I refuse to chance it," Minato frowned. "By choosing to fight Nyx, I guarantee I don't forget…" Her brother wryly smiled at her. "I won't let myself forget about her, Hamuko… I'm where I am now because of Fuuka."

"If I'm your weakness, Fuuka-chan is your strength," the brunette mused with a smile. It was a reassuring thought, but it didn't quite dispel Hamuko's worries about the situation. "But even with her support, you can't expect to fight Nyx alone," Hamuko shook her head. "Minato, you have to be realistic…"

"I won't be alone if you fight alongside me!" the boy tried to persuade her. "You know I can't do this without you either."

"The two of us alone just isn't enough for this, Minato!" Hamuko told him. "We're not miracle makers!"

"But we _are_ Wild Cards!" Minato exclaimed, blue eyes flashing. The brunette paused at that, her red eyes growing wide. Her brother stood to his feet. "We're like the number zero. We're empty but full of infinite possibilities. Together, we can be more than that, Hamuko. We can go beyond infinity!" He held out his hand for her and stared at her expectantly.

Hamuko studied his face and noticed the expression he wore was one she thought he had lost long ago. She sighed as she couldn't muster up her courage the same way he has. "I'm sorry, Minato…"

The blue-haired boy's confident smirk slowly faded. He lowered his arm before frowning at his sister. "Why not?"

"Because I'm tired of us always having to fight against fate!" she stated. Minato paused as the brunette was beginning to cry. "You said it yourself! I'm supposed to be dead while you don't deserve to live. You _know_ Nyx can't be defeated, Minato!"

"Even if I _know_ that, I refuse to _believe_ it," Minato shook his head. "You were the one to teach me to look to a brighter future!"

"That future no longer exists!" Hamuko told him as she wiped up her face. "There's no point in us continuing anymore! You were right all along in that in the end, everybody will leave us! Just like Shinjiro!"

"That's not true," her brother stubbornly stated. "We're all bound together by our Social Links. Look at your watch, Hamuko! That's proof he's still with you! However short of a time that was, he still loved you with all of his heart. It was a precious time to you and I don't want you to forget that happiness…"

The red-eyed girl blankly stared at the ticking second hand of her wrist watch. "But time is also continuous," Hamuko frowned as she recalled the words spoken to them when they first arrived to the dorm. "It's something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away…" She sighed to herself. "We can't go back to those happy moments, no matter how much we want to. And everything comes to an end eventually, so why not just accept it?"

"So you're just going to give up?" Minato wore a disappointed frown. "After everything we've been through, you're going to just throw it all away?" He shook his head as he tried to understand her. "I just don't get it… After all this time, I didn't expect you of all people to take this lying down…" He sighed to himself before turning to face the door. "Forget it…" he wryly laughed at his words. "That's what you want, right? Fuuka… Shinji-nii… Ryoji… Let's just forget them all. People only ever leave us in the end…" He sighed to himself. "That's why we're better off alone."

The brunette clenched her fists as she didn't like his bitter tone. "Minato!" she called out just as he placed his hand on the doorknob. "Deep down… I know you're right…" She began shaking. "But… I don't want to fight alone… not by ourselves… not against something that will definitely kill us!" The younger twin sobbed. "I don't want to die…"

Minato looked back towards her and his expression softened. "Neither do I," he sighed. The girl remained silent as she cried to herself, so he gently hugged her. "But that's another reason to fight, isn't it? There's a small possibility that we _can_ win… We just need to be strong enough to take that chance."

"Even if I know that… I'm still scared…" She buried her face into her brother's chest. "I don't know if I can keep staying strong…"

"I'm sorry for always giving you that burden," her brother muttered. "And I guess I'm not being fair to you right now… I know this is a lot I'm asking of you but… I don't want to go back to being that coward I was before… We were so miserable and painfully lonely back then… I'm more afraid of losing our bonds than I am of fighting a losing battle…"

Hamuko managed to calm down a bit as she considered her brother's position. "I guess I can understand how you feel…"

"You know my fears best after all," Minato wryly laughed. He paused as a compromise came to him. "How about this? We'll test our bonds with everyone by seeing who will decide to fight. If our bonds are as strong as I know they are, everyone should agree with me by the time Ryoji returns. If not… Well… Since we're the only ones capable of killing Ryoji, I'll leave it to you to give him our final decision."

"You'll really be okay with that?" Hamuko asked him.

"I believe in our team," Minato nodded. "I know they won't let us down."

The brunette smirked at him as they let each other go. "Another wager then, nii-san?"

"Why not? I'm willing to make this gamble," the blue-haired boy arrogantly grinned. "I have a feeling I won't lose this time." He extended his arm towards her.

"Then I'll gladly take you on," Hamuko nodded as she shook his hand. _This is one bet I don't mind losing…_ Satisfied with their deal, Minato started for the door once more. The brunette wore a soft smile as her brother managed to instill a bit of hope into her despite the bleak situation they were in. "Minato," Hamuko called out to him again, "Thanks for everything…"

Her brother only let out a light chuckle. "I should be saying the same to you, sis…" And on those words, he left her room, but not before glancing back towards her. Hamuko noticed his blue eyes brilliantly shone with fierce pride and determination. "Good night," he said with a nod, closing the door behind him.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Fuuka, you've been staring at that crane machine for a while now," Minato noticed. "Is something wrong?"

The teal-haired girl blinked at him. "Oh, um… No! It's just that…" she smiled as she pointed at one of the new prize dolls added to the machine, "that doll looks like the Jack Frost Doll you won for me."

The blue-haired boy frowned as he took a look for himself. "Oh, hey, it's Black Frost…" He made a face. "Another doll resembling a Persona I can use… Just where the hell are they coming from?"

"I think it's adorable," Fuuka cheerfully stated.

"I guess it is," Minato smirked as he tilted his head to the side, "in a weird devilish sort of way."

The girl's brown eyes shone excitedly. "I want to win one!" she cried out as she began studying the claw machine.

"Huh!?" Minato blinked as that came out of nowhere. "W-wait… Why!?"

"I want to win it for you, Minato-kun!" Fuuka smiled.

"It's not really necessary, Fuuka," the boy shook his head. "Really… These sort of machines are really finicky and I wouldn't want you wasting time and money trying to win me a prize."

Despite his protests, the girl already slipped a coin into the machine to start up the game. "It's really nothing, Minato-kun!" Fuuka reassured him. "It won't take long." She began to intently focus on the task before her.

Not wanting to break her concentration, Minato simply stood at her side and watched. His blue eyes widened as the girl succeeded on her first try. "W-what? H-how did you—?"

Fuuka giggled as she placed the Black Frost Doll in his arms. "Claw machines are really easy so long as you have a steady hand, patience, and good concentration."

"Really?" The blue-haired boy glared at the dreaded money-trap. _That would have been useful information months ago when Elizabeth and Theodore asked for three Jack Frost Dolls…_ He glanced down at the devilish doll he now owned and couldn't help but crack a smile. _Oh well…_ "You're the best, Fuuka…"

"I'm glad you like it, Minato-kun," Fuuka hugged his arm before they decided to return to the dorm.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Not a very eventful bonus scene this time. I was just thinking Minato needed his own doll and what better version of a Jack Persona is there besides Black Frost? I mean, there is King Frost... but I imagine it would be huge... and cumbersome to carry around... and rather embarrassing for the fiery Hellhound... But anyways... Boo, December! After all the team has been through, I'm pretty sure it's not a difficult decision. In fact, it wasn't a decision to me at all. Of course I'm gonna fight! And it really doesn't make sense for Minato and Hamuko to give up their Wild Card and return to a life without friends and Social Links. Although, sometimes, to spite the team for wasting an entire month, I still kill Ryoji... That'll show them... Not really... It's kinda petty... and nonsensical... But screw their weaknesses?


	47. Let's Die Fighting

**Author's Notes:** So for sure the story will be finished next week. I'm not sure if I'll do anything afterwards because I'm still in the middle of playing Answer and frankly, I don't know if I want to do anything for Answer. Formatting it will be weird because of Aigis's random narrations from time to time. Oh well... Give me a few months (or years) and maybe eventually something will come up. I gotta complete the scenario first and let it sink in anyways. Also... Woohoo, Pokemon Moon! For some reason it shipped early despite it being released tomorrow...!

* * *

~20 DECEMBER 2009~

Yukari lifted her head and faced her bedroom door when she heard knocking. "Yes? Who is it?"

"It's me," Mitsuru responded.

"Oh…" The brunette was surprised but quickly answered the door to let the redhead in. "You don't stop by very often, Senpai… Is something wrong?"

"No," the older girl shook her head. "I just wanted to talk."

"Awww…" Yukari smirked. "Are you feeling lonely?"

"Hey…" Mitsuru frowned at her. "Are you teasing me?"

"No," the brunette shook her head. "Well, maybe just a little," she giggled. This made the older girl laugh too. After a while, Yukari wore a serious frown as she knew why Mitsuru was here. "I wonder what this Nyx is like." She looked up at her friend. "Hey, do you think it's inside Tartarus?"

"I have no idea…" Mitsuru sighed.

Yukari figured that would be her response. "Oh, by the way, I've made my decision…" Mitsuru looked at her in mild surprise. "I want to fight to the end. It's better than doing nothing. That's why you're here, isn't it, Senpai? To talk about our decision?"

"I… I guess it is," the redhead smiled.

Yukari giggled. "You're so easy to read."

Mitsuru smirked at that as she nodded. "I've made my decision as well. Kirijo is making great strides to turn itself around. After I graduate, I plan to assume leadership of the Group and continue where my father left off. I cannot turn back now, even if I wanted to."

The brunette blinked at that. "But, what if you die?"

Mitsuru frowned at that thought but she already made up her mind. "If I die defeating Nyx, then the Kirijo Group will have to continue on without me. But I am confident they would fulfill my wishes."

"Ryoji said Nyx can't be defeated… but I kinda wonder about that." Yukari smirked as she considered the twins that led them. "I don't think our special members can be killed, either."

"I agree…" the Student Council President smiled. "Death dwelled within them, amplifying their abilities, though they were exceptional to begin with."

"Minato's an interesting guy, huh?" Yukari lightly laughed. "He was the first to find his resolve to fight Nyx, after all…"

"Yes, he is," Mitsuru nodded. "It seems he was able to give his sister the push she needed to join him too…" She smiled at the twin's close bond. "I'm surprised Hamuko wasn't the one to find her resolve first, but that just proves how much he's grown."

"He's not the same anti-social kid he was back when he first moved in," Yukari laughed. "But then again, we've all changed from how we were at the beginning of the year."

"That is true…"

The brunette lowered her gaze. "You know, if things don't work out, I think I'll still be okay, as long as I'm with everyone. Honestly, it doesn't matter whether or not we die. All that matters is that we're proud of how we lived. And I'd be proud if we decided to fight Nyx."

"Does your decision have anything to do with your father?" Mitsuru asked.

"A little," Yukari admitted. "But, it's more about me and how I feel."

"I understand," the redhead nodded.

"Senpai," the archer looked up at the older girl, "when we were in Kyoto, you asked me to stand by your side… Do you remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Mitsuru smiled. "We will fight together, Yukari."

"Together," Yukari smiled back.

* * *

~23 DECEMBER 2009~

Akihiko paused when he noticed Ken standing in the alley behind Port Island Station. Concerned about the young boy, he approached the elementary school student. "I thought you were gonna go visit your mother's grave…" the boxer stated.

Ken looked up in surprise. "Oh, hi, Sanada-san…"

Taking a look at their surroundings, Akihiko frowned. "Is this where you should be?" he asked.

"Well, I was planning to…" Ken stared at his shoes. "But when I thought about what I was gonna say to her, it just didn't feel right. There are things I still need to do before I talk to her again."

The high school senior nodded as he felt the same way. "Yeah, same here. I don't have anything I need to tell Shinji right now." He sighed. "I have my own stuff to deal with."

"An undefeatable enemy, huh?" Ken tried to consider facing an adversary like that but nothing came to mind. "Gosh, I wonder what it's like."

"You got me," Akihiko shrugged. "But, it doesn't matter…" he clenched his fist, "because I've made up my mind. I'm gonna look it straight in the eyes."

Ken stared at the older boy in amazement. "Straight in the eyes…" He smiled. "I like the sound of that." He gave Akihiko a determined nod. "You can count me in, too!"

* * *

~24 DECEMBER 2009~

Minato pulled out his ringing phone and smiled when he noticed it was a text from Fuuka. _"I know this is kind of sudden… but if you're not busy after school… would you like to spend some time together?"_

The blue-haired boy happily responded but just as he was about to put his phone away, he felt a curious brunette peering over his shoulder. A bit annoyed at her antics, he turned back to face his nosy sister. "Do you mind?"

"You're texting Fuuka-chan, right?" Hamuko asked him with a smirk.

"Yeah… It's Christmas Eve tonight and she invited me out after school today." He nervously looked away as his face went red. "Winter really is romantic, isn't it? I can see why you love it so much."

"Yeah, but you've been spending way too much time with her lately," Hamuko complained. "I mean, you already got the chance to have Fuuka-chan to yourself on her birthday two days ago. Yukari and I want to have her spend tonight with us in a girls-only party."

"No way," Minato shook his head. "Call me selfish and greedy, but I'm not sharing her with anyone today. Don't even think about kidnapping her from me!"

"Like I'd ever do that!" the brunette glared at him for accusing her of such a thing. Her brother narrowed his eyes suspiciously, causing the girl to break into laughter. "Okay, maybe I would…"

The twins looked up as Yukari returned. The archer sighed as she waved to Hamuko. "So it looks like Mitsuru-senpai has plans already. Did you already ask Fuuka?"

"She has plans too," Hamuko frowned at her brother, "with her spoiled jerk of a boyfriend."

Yukari crossed her arms. "What if we kidnap her for today? We can get your brother and Junpei to deal with her boyfriend if he's a problem."

"Wouldn't that be great?" Hamuko laughed. "Too bad nii-san would never agree to do anything like that."

"Why not?" Yukari frowned at the blue-haired boy staring at her with a flat expression. "It's no secret that you're into Fuuka…" She paused as the boy continued to blink at her. "Don't tell me you're the type of guy who would willingly suffer a broken heart so long as the person he likes is happy… You're a bit of a softie, but you're not _that_ soft. You're the Gekkoukan Hellhound for crying out loud! Go bring dread to the guy she's dating or something!"

Minato rolled his eyes. " _I'm_ Fuuka's boyfriend."

The archer blinked at him. "Oh…" She smirked over towards Hamuko. "Yeah, let's kidnap Fuuka tonight."

"No way! She's the one who invited me out!" The boy's blue eyes flashed. "And I'm not sharing her, so don't even ask!" he childishly exclaimed.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually said that out loud," Yukari stared at him oddly, "and with such confidence too." She pulled the boy's cheek. "You are Minato, right?" She looked up towards Hamuko in mock worry. "I think Ryoji replaced your brother."

"Hey, quit it!" the boy swatted her hands away from his face. "I'm me!" He groaned as both girls laughed at him. "What did I do to ever deserve this?"

"Well, you did just ruin our party plans," Hamuko smirked at him.

"Why don't you turn it into a little family gathering then?" Minato shrugged. "I mean… Junpei, Akihiko-san, Ken, and Koromaru probably don't have plans either."

"That's not a bad idea," Yukari crossed her arms.

The blue-haired boy patted his pockets. "Wait, hang on." He fished for his wallet and took out a business card and a receipt. "Here… I put in an order for some special seasonal cake from Café Chagall. Why don't you pick it up after school and enjoy it in your little shindig? Consider it an apology gift for me kidnapping Fuuka tonight." He slapped the order slip into his sister's hand. "Merry Christmas."

"Oh, sweet! Free cake!" Hamuko bounced as she studied the receipt.

"Did I hear someone say free cake?" Junpei took a seat in Ryoji's old desk. "Sup, dudes?" the capped boy smirked at them.

"You seem happy," Yukari suspiciously frowned at him. "What's up with you?"

"Something only us guys would understand," Junpei shrugged. He looked over at Minato and lightly elbowed him. "Hey, dude. You wanna head to the mall for another 'operation' after school? I invited Akihiko-san but uh…" His smirk slightly faded. "He said he was already 'recruited' to attend another 'mission' with a 'target'."

"Why are you talking like that?" Minato frowned at all of his air quotes.

"Dude! Did you already forget?" Junpei's eyes darted to the two girls staring at them oddly. "An 'operation'? For just us guys?"

It took a while for the blue-haired boy to understand. "Oh… you meant _that_ kind of operation…" He shook his head. "Sorry, Junpei, but I'm good. No more 'operations' for me. Especially not tonight. I've got plans already."

"What!? You too?" Junpei groaned as he pulled his cap down. "Man…"

"Are you guys talking about an arcade game or something?" Yukari frowned at them.

"Um… yes?" Junpei smirked.

The archer sighed. "That's kind of sad and pathetic, even for you… Spending Christmas Eve alone in an arcade?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Junpei groaned. He perked himself up as he looked over at both brunettes. "Well, what about you two? You got any plans tonight?"

Hamuko smiled at him. "We do and you're welcome to join us. It'll just be you, me, Yukari, Ken-kun, and Koro-chan celebrating Christmas as a family."

"We even have a cake thanks to our very gracious leader," Yukari smirked. "Oh, let's save Fuuka, Mitsuru-senpai, and Akihiko-senpai a slice for when they get back."

"Can you do the same for me?" Minato hopefully asked.

"Nope," Hamuko smirked.

"Didn't you offer up the cake to us as an apology for missing out anyways?" the archer jokingly frowned at him.

"H-hey…" the blue-haired boy began to pout. "That's not fair…"

"Don't worry, man," Junpei laughed. "I'll have your slice for you."

"You all suck as friends, you know that?" Minato sighed.

"But you love us anyways!" Hamuko laughed.

"You're my family…" he wryly muttered. "Of course I love you guys…"

Junpei's eyes widened as he started stretching Minato's cheeks. "W-whoa… Is this really Minato? Our too-cool leader would never say something like that so openly…"

"I know, right?" Yukari nodded in agreement.

"You all definitely suck…" Minato groaned as the three laughed at him.

* * *

Once classes were over, Minato sighed in relief when Hamuko, Junpei, and Yukari quickly left to pick up their cake. The blue-haired boy brightened up even more when he saw Fuuka approaching his desk. "Are you ready to go, Minato-kun…?" she asked with a blush on her face. "I don't mean to rush you, but we can't stay out too late…"

"Oh, that's right," Minato frowned. "It's still a school night."

"Uh-huh!" Fuuka nodded. She watched as Minato picked up his schoolbag and grabbed her hand. "I don't care where we go…" she told him with a small smile, "as long as we're together."

"Is that so?" Minato asked her as he leaned his face forward, causing her face to get even redder. "Even Shirakawa Boulevard?" he joked.

"Minato-kun…!" the girl frowned at him.

"I'm only kidding." The boy brightly laughed as he shook his head. "Actually… I was thinking more of heading to Paulownia Mall. I heard they set up a lights display. Something as beautiful as that… I want to see it with you…"

Fuuka suddenly became curious. "A lights display?" Minato nodded as he led the way to the mall. As soon as they got there, Fuuka's brown eyes widened in amazement at the lights dangling from the ceiling. "Wow… Look at all the decorations… They're so elaborate. Look, Minato-kun! Those trees are made entirely of lights…" she excitedly pointed towards the pieces surrounding the main water fountain. "They're so beautiful…"

Minato smiled at how happy the girl seemed to be here with him. "They sure are," he said with a nod. He gave himself a moment to take in the view. "But of course… this is only the second most beautiful scene I've ever witnessed."

"Hm?" Fuuka tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What's your first?"

"You on the dock at Yakushima," he replied with a wide smile on his face. "I still have the photo to prove it," he proudly patted the pocket where he kept his wallet. "I always keep it on me with all of my other prized pictures."

"Minato-kun…" The teal-haired girl blushed at that but she soon began to shiver. "Brr… It's a bit chilly, but I'm really glad we came." She used this as an excuse to get closer the blue-haired boy who happily obliged her with a warm hug. "U-um…" She looked up at him. "It's such a wonderful night, isn't it…?"

Her boyfriend chuckled. "Of course it is," he stated. "I'm here with you after all."

Fuuka's face became even redder but she could feel the boy's body shaking too. "Do you want to go inside somewhere?" she suggested. "It's getting a bit chilly…" She placed a hand on his pale cheek. "I don't want you to catch a cold…"

"I should be saying the same thing to you," Minato smiled down at her as he covered her cold hand with his own warm one. "How about some hot cocoa from Café Chagall?" he offered. "My treat…"

Fuuka nodded as she spent the afternoon with him. As usual, they talked about whatever they could. They continued tangent after tangent as they wandered through the rest of the mall, studying the decorations. Finally, they decided it was good time to take a break so they sat at a bench next to the fountain.

The teal-haired girl giggled as she leaned against Minato. "I'm having such a good time…" she told him. "I pass through here all the time, but it looks so amazing tonight." She paused as she realized what day it was. "Oh, that's right, um…" She sat up and dug through her schoolbag.

"Hm?" Minato curiously watched her. "What is it, Fuuka?"

"These are for you…" Fuuka smiled as she pulled out a small plastic bag of cookies. "I was thinking of you when I made them." She placed the gift in his hands. "Sorry, I wanted to bake a cake, but… I'm not that good at baking yet, and I didn't want it to taste bad. But, I think you'll really like these." She watched as he took out a cookie and tried it for himself. She brightened when the boy cracked a smirk as he bit into the pastry.

"Fuuka, these are really good," he told her. "It's always amazing to see how much you keep improving."

"It's only because of you, Minato-kun," Fuuka blushed. "I always think of how much I want to see you smile while eating my food." She lowered her gaze. "You're my reason for doing my best…"

Minato smiled at her. "You know that goes both ways…" He finished the cookie and decided to save the rest of the batch for later. The blue-haired boy dusted the crumbs off of him before going through his backpack too. "Well, I also got you something."

Fuuka blinked at the box he handed to her. "Is this present for me, Minato-kun?" He simply nodded as she opened it. Her eyes widened in amazement. "It's…!" She lifted the Brand Bag from the box and examined it before giving the boy a wide smile. "Thank you… You know me so well…" She took the time to hug the blue-haired junior. "That makes me happy!"

"I'm glad you like it," the boy smiled as he brought his arms around her too.

After a few seconds, Fuuka straightened up again. "So…" a serious frown appeared on her face. "New Year's Eve is just around the corner…" She let out a sigh. "If I was still my old self, I'd probably want to forget about today… But, I'm a lot different now." She looked into her boyfriend's eyes in determination. "Now I think that time is precious, and I don't want to give up on the future… Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me, Minato-kun…"

"Fuuka…" Minato was at a loss for words as he couldn't even begin to understand how happy he was to hear that.

"Thank you for today…" Fuuka nodded to him. "I'm having a wonderful time… I'm sure there were other things you could have been doing today… But, you chose to be here with me… and that makes me happy…" She continued to stare into his shining blue eyes before she noticed it was getting dark outside. "Hmm… We should get going soon…" She took out her phone to check for the time but remembered something. "Oh! Mitsuru-senpai said that since she doesn't think everyone will get back in time, we won't go to Tartarus." She blushed as she thought of the Student Council President. "I really look up to Mitsuru-senpai," she told her boyfriend. "She's so kind and reliable… What about you, Minato-kun?"

The blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Um… Just what exactly are you trying to ask me?"

"Oh, s-sorry!" Fuuka giggled. "I think that came out the wrong way…" She frowned to herself. "I thought you might like Mitsuru-senpai… you know… as a woman."

Minato placed his hands on Fuuka's shoulders. "You shouldn't compare yourself to someone else," he told her. "Mitsuru-senpai, Yukari, even Hamuko… They're important to me, but _you_ are the one I love." He steadily looked into her brown eyes. "The reason why I love you is because you see me as I am, with my strengths and weaknesses. You accept me even when I can't accept myself. That's why…" Minato pressed his forehead to hers. "You don't have to be afraid of losing your 'harbor of courage' to anything, Fuuka… You're irreplaceable to me…"

"I'm sorry…" the girl apologized. "I guess I'm just afraid that… you'll go away…" She tightly grabbed the jacket of his uniform to make sure he was really there in front of her. "B-but I'm happy to be here with you today… It means a lot to me." Her hands wandered up to the headphones she had given him. "Thank you for staying with me. I'll always be happy to support you… and to be with you." Fuuka closed her eyes as she could feel his calm breaths match her own. "Not just in battle, or during a mission, but… from now on, I… love…" she didn't finish her thought because the distance between their lips suddenly disappeared. After a few seconds, she pulled away with a surprised gasp. "U-um! Sorry about that!" She hadn't meant for things to go that far while they were out.

The two quickly let each other go, but Minato wore a crooked smile. He tried to hide it behind his hand as he coughed a few times. "Um… N-no worries…" He looked around the mall for a bit before returning his gaze to his blushing girlfriend. "Um… It's getting pretty late, isn't it?" he tried asking.

The teal-haired junior nodded in agreement. "What should we do after this? After all… we have more time…"

"Even so, I think it's about time we return to the dorm," Minato sighed. "Depending on the state everyone else is in when we get back, we can…" he nervously looked away, "continue our discussion in my room…" He coughed into his hand again. "If you want, of course…"

Fuuka blushed at what he was suggesting. "O-okay…"

After gathering their things, Minato took a deep breath as he stood to his feet. He offered his girlfriend his hand. She quickly accepted it as he led the way to the station. The blue-haired boy smiled down at her. "Fuuka… I want to thank you too… for being here…"

"I'm glad you had fun too," she smiled.

The boy chuckled since she was in such high spirits. "That's not exactly what I meant…" Minato mumbled to himself, but she didn't seem to hear. _I'm grateful that you exist, Fuuka…_

* * *

~27 DECEMBER 2009~

Winter vacation finally began but instead of celebrating as he did back in summer, Junpei found himself at Port Island Station. He was seated on the same bench he had met Chidori as he absently flipped through the girl's sketchbook. He sighed as he stopped on the full-page portrait Chidori had drawn of himself. He couldn't help but always stare at this particular picture because it was the one Chidori seemed to have worked on the most. She had made him look so strong and brave, but Junpei couldn't see himself that way. Still, it did make him feel a bit better to know she believed in him so much.

"Huh…?" a soft voice made Junpei look up. "Junpei-kun?" Fuuka worriedly frowned at him as she approached him.

"Oh, hey, Fuuka," the tall junior tried smirking.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Nothing, really…" he shook his head. "I come here when I'm feeling down…"

The brown-eyed girl spotted the sketchpad he was holding. "Is that Chidori's sketchbook…?"

Junpei closed it and smiled. "Yeah. This was where I first met her…" Fuuka seemed to brighten up at that. He chuckled as he knew she was a bit of a romantic. He blinked though as he became curious about something. "What're you doing here, Fuuka?"

"Oh, I went home for a bit," Fuuka said. Junpei raised an eyebrow at her as he thought she didn't like visiting her parents. "I've been going back there a lot lately," she explained with a blush. "With things as they are right now, I don't want to take my family for granted. They're my parents after all and even if it doesn't feel that way sometimes, I want to put in an effort to understand them and get them to understand me."

"I see," Junpei smiled at that. "You know, you've really changed, Fuuka. You're totally different from when you first came to the dorm."

"Really…?" Fuuka was a bit surprised to hear him say that.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You were so timid back then, but now you're so… strong."

The teal-haired girl was happy to hear that as she felt that everyone in the dorm had become stronger. "You've changed too, Junpei-kun."

The capped junior wryly smiled. "Yuka-tan said the same thing. But I don't think so," he shook his head. "I mean, just the other day I got all freaked out about being scared…" He frowned as he remembered lashing out at Hamuko and Minato. "I'm such a wuss…" he laughed.

"That's not true," Fuuka shook her head.

"But, I really was scared," Junpei told her. "Actually…" he shivered a bit but not because it was cold. "I'm still scared. But after thinking about it, I realized that I don't want to lose my memory. If I forget everything," his grip around the sketchbook tightened, "that means I'll forget Chidori, too. And I wouldn't even be alive right now if it wasn't for her, ya know?" He lifted his head to look at Fuuka. "So I say 'f' that."

"You're scared because you're not running away…" Fuuka stated with small smile. "That's nothing to be ashamed of," she shook her head.

"Fuuka…" Junpei's eyes widened as he never really thought about it like that.

The short girl clenched her fists. "That's why I want to protect everyone…" She frowned as she considered everything they went through. "Think about it. The Dark Hour is really scary too, isn't it? But our Personas awakened, and we're here today… The future hasn't been decided yet… And I want to be true to myself…"

"True to yourself…" Junpei thought about what that meant for him. He managed to put on a confident smirk before rising to his feet. "You're really something, Fuuka. We should fight."

His friend nodded in determination. "I agree."

* * *

~30 DECEMBER 2009~

"So it looks like I win the bet," Minato smirked as he began harassing Pyro Shinji again.

"Leave him alone!" Hamuko complained as she rescued the doll from her brother's bullying. "And it's not like you got anything from winning."

"Well, I _do_ get the satisfaction of finally beating you in a wager!" he smirked. "You'd better uphold your end of the bargain and fight alongside me."

"I know!" the brunette sighed. "Jeez, you're acting like a kid," she shook her head. "It's a bit weird seeing you this way."

Minato paused for a moment. "It is, isn't it?" he sheepishly laughed. "Wasn't this my personality before the accident?"

"Yeah, it was," Hamuko nodded. "Afterwards, you became a worrywart stick-in-the-mud. I actually don't know which version of you I prefer…"

"Well, no matter what, I'm still me," he shrugged. He took a moment to consider something. "Hey, Hamuko? Next year… let's stay in Iwatodai."

"Huh?" She stared at her brother oddly. "You… don't want to move?"

"I want to stay," he said with a nod. "I mean… we can still go back to the estate during spring, but… I'd like it if we graduated here… as Gekkoukan students… with all of our friends…"

"I'd like that too," Hamuko smiled at her brother. "Iwatodai is our home after all…" Her brother nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to speak when someone began knocking on the door.

Yukari called out to her. "Hellooooo? Are you awake!?"

"I'm up!" the red-eyed girl stated, opening the door.

"Yukari," Minato nodded to the archer. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Good news!" Yukari smiled at the twins. "Aigis is coming back today! Mitsuru-senpai said her wounds have finally healed. We're meeting in the lounge tonight. Don't forget, okay?" Both siblings nodded to her in understanding. "See ya!"

When the archer was gone, Minato frowned. "Aigis…"

"Something wrong?" Hamuko asked him.

"She'd never agree to fight Nyx if she thinks we're all suffering," her brother crossed his arms. "She's just like Ryoji in that sense."

"Well, I believe in her," Hamuko told him. "I really don't want to kill Ryoji-kun and everyone seems so determined now. I'm sure Ai-chan can discover her own reason to live."

"Her reason to live, huh? But she's just a machine…" Minato shook his head at his own words. "No… She still has a heart…"

"She also has people who care for her," Hamuko nodded.

"Yeah…" The blue-haired boy mulled over his thoughts. "Ever since we met her on Yakushima, I haven't been very fair to Aigis, have I?" He sighed. "I always only just give her orders and expect her to follow them. For some reason, I couldn't believe in her heart despite all of the times she's saved us…"

"Well, you believed in her that night we were on Moonlight Bridge," Hamuko smiled at him. "I might not remember the accident as well as you, but I do know she was there to protect us. You believed in her heart then, didn't you?"

"I guess," Minato smiled.

"Well, since you're still sort of the same you from before, I'm sure you can believe in her heart again," his sister nodded.

The blue-haired boy lightly chuckled at that. "Yeah… Maybe I can…" He paused as he lifted his gaze to look up at the brunette. "You've always treated Aigis as her own person… Why was that?"

"Because she's the same as me," the red-eyed girl wryly smiled. "We're both not supposed to be alive." Minato stared at her with sad eyes. "But we are alive, so I want her to keep living. For as long as she can…" Hamuko worriedly watched her brother lower his head again so she tried to cheer him up with a joke. "Besides, you're more of a robot than her sometimes."

The boy managed to crack a smile at that. "Well, thanks for that. _Someone_ needs to be the more rational one between the two of us."

"I'm pretty sure that's still me," the brunette laughed. "I just meant you're worse than her when it comes to human interactions."

"There really is no winning against you," her brother sighed. He shook his head. "Alright, fine. We'll have it your way and believe in Aigis. I have no reason to doubt her anyways… She's been protecting us all this time and I won't let her give up on us now."

* * *

As soon as Aigis entered the lounge, everybody gathered around her. Hamuko happily hugged the robot. "Ai-chan! Welcome back!"

"I've… come back, but…" The blonde hesitantly pulled away from the brunette. She looked up at the others. "I'm back, everyone," she said with a frown. "Sorry to have worried you all."

"Man," Junpei smirked. "I'm glad to see you. I was getting nervous."

"Me too," Fuuka nodded. "I was fearing the worst…"

"I'm a machine," Aigis merely stated, "so I can always be rebuilt. Even if I was completely destroyed, the programming data necessary to recreate me would still exist…"

Yukari frowned at her. "Hey… Don't talk about yourself like that."

Mitsuru worriedly kept an eye on the robot. "They said another week would be required for a complete recovery, but I had the process expedited." She paused as she considered the date. "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve."

Aigis noticed the entire dorm growing quiet as they all knew what was going to happen tomorrow. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused… Mitsuru-san visited me at the lab and told me everything… That must have been difficult for you all to hear." She looked at the twins she had saved all those years ago. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Have you been well…?" Her gaze faltered. "I mean, considering the circumstances…"

Hamuko gave her a reassuring smile. "We've been okay."

"If that's true, then I'm relieved," the robot managed to crack a small smile.

Minato stared at her in concern. "But we were worried about you."

"I'm sorry," Aigis couldn't look directly at him. "It's because I wasn't strong enough…" She began shaking. "Ten years ago, I… What I did to you was…"

"You had no choice," Minato sternly shook his head. "It was the only way…" he frowned.

"You did the right thing," Hamuko smiled. "It's because of you that Minato and I are alive. So thank you."

"But…" Aigis looked at the two, expecting them to be angry at her. "If I hadn't done that to you, you wouldn't be suffering like this…" The twins still didn't seem to be fazed by that at all and it only agitated the robot more. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Ryoji has presented you with a difficult choice… Have you made your decision?"

Hamuko nodded. "Yes, we have."

"But…" Minato crossed his arms. "It's dependent on all of us being together. Aigis… What do you feel we should do?"

The blue-eyed android quickly took this opportunity to sway the twins. "I have a favor to ask of you," she stated, looking into the calm boy's blue eyes. "Tomorrow, when Ryoji comes, please… Please kill him…!" She clenched her metals fists. "I can't bear to see everyone hurting like this! Please choose to have your memories erased…! Even if… Even if it means forgetting everything… and everyone…"

"A-Aigis," Yukari blinked at her, "what're you talking about!?"

The blonde girl didn't say anything so Mitsuru took a moment to check if she was malfunctioning. "What's wrong, Aigis?"

Aigis studied Minato for a while but noticed the boy didn't seem to be affected by her wishes. "Why…?" she asked herself. "Why did I come back here?" She shook her head as she recalled the boy's defiant seven-year-old self. "My mission is to protect humanity from Shadows. But now, I know that I can't defeat them! So then… why am I here? I'm useless!" she cried out. "Even if I have a heart, I cannot even shed a tear for you all…!"

"Oh, Aigis…" Fuuka frowned.

Minato adamantly shook his head. "What does it matter if you can't cry? You still have a heart, Aigis! You saved me twice back then! It's because of you that I'm here now. And I will fight! No matter the odds, I can't and won't back down!"

Aigis frowned at him since he really was no different from the stubborn child from back then. "Why fight, when you know that you can't win!?" she demanded to know. "What is the purpose of that!? Why are you wasting your lives!?"

Hamuko shook her head. "We don't plan to waste it," she firmly stated in support of her brother.

Akihiko nodded. "Yeah, she's right. We're just planning for the future." He smirked at the elementary school student beside him. "Right, Ken?"

The brunet nodded. "Right."

"I…" Aigis shook her head as everyone seemed so determined to make such a foolish decision. "I don't understand." She let out a painful sigh. "It must because I don't possess a 'life'…"

Junpei laughed. "This has nothing to do with having a life."

"I am a machine, a machine that was created to protect humans from Shadows." The android stared down at her mechanical body before falling to her knees. "But, I can't fulfill that mission with the powers I was given… So then, what is my purpose now? Could someone please tell me?"

The capped boy shook his head. "We don't know the answer, Aigis…" He pulled his hat down over his eyes. "The only one who can tell you what your purpose is, is you. That's why we're having such a hard time making our decision. There's just no easy answer." He smirked though as he looked around at their friends. "But as long as we're alive, we have to do something… When we see others hurting, we want to help them. So that's our purpose." The usually goofy junior let out a short laugh. "I'm not too good at explaining it, but… that's what we all think."

Everybody smiled in agreement to Junpei's words and Aigis took a moment to let it sink in. What he said made sense, but she still found it difficult to accept. "Can finding one's purpose really be so simple…?" she asked.

"Aigis," Fuuka knelt down at the robot's side and smiled. "When I saw you collapse, I realized something… I want to protect you… I don't want to forget about you."

"Fuuka-san…" Aigis looked up at the teal-haired navigator.

Mitsuru chuckled. "There are times when you will lose sight of your goal," she began, "and you will have to search for it. But if you can't find it again, then you must set your heart on a new goal." She wore a bittersweet smile as she thought of her father. "I'm not really one to talk… but I feel that I've come to understand something important this year. To truly live, you will need to make changes sometimes."

"Do you think I can do that?" Aigis asked. "Do you think I can change?"

"Yes," the redhead nodded. "I mean, you've changed so much already." The Student Council President proudly smiled at the robot. "Haven't you noticed? In fact, you're changing even as we speak."

The android's blue eyes widened at that as the senior was right. "I know what my purpose is…" A genuine smile formed on her face as she rose to her feet. "I'm a machine, a machine who is here to 'live'. And the one who has given me this new purpose is… me." She looked back at the twins. "This is the promise I've made to myself. I don't know how I'll do it… but I guess that is a part of living too."

Minato softly chuckled to himself as Hamuko grabbed Aigis's hand. "I'm sure that's it," the brunette nodded.

"Yes," Aigis smiled at the two she most wanted to protect.

Everyone flinched as Aigis involuntarily summoned Palladion. The mechanical Persona transformed into a female figure wielding a spear and shield. _"Thou art I, and I am thou,"_ the Persona stated to the robot. _"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Pallas Athena, goddess of courage and inspiration. My shield and spear are yours to use to protect the precious lives of those you hold dearest."_

As the Persona faded away, Aigis firmly approached the twin leaders. "Will you allow me to join with you all?" she asked them.

Minato tilted his head to the side as he smirked. "Do you really have to ask, Aigis?"

Hamuko laughed as she hugged the robot. "You're already a part of us!"

The blonde brightened to hear that. "Thank you!" She wore her biggest smile as she looked at everyone around her. "I will be with you all… no matter what happens…!"

The entire dormitory crowded around the robot to fully welcome her back. Yukari cheered the android on. "That's the spirit!"

"Woohoo!" Junpei yelled. "Group hug!"

"So claustrophobic…" Minato gasped for air as he tried to fight his way out of the crowd. "Can't breathe…!"

"Nii-san, no escaping!" Hamuko tightly clung to her brother's arm. "Can't you enjoy the moment for once?"

"It's good to have everyone together again!" Fuuka giggled.

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "Our family is once again whole…"

"That's right," Akihiko smirked. "We'll show Nyx a thing or two about our resolve to live!"

"Everybody's counting on us, Koromaru!" Ken cried.

Koromaru barked and Aigis nodded at the albino dog. "I agree… Let's do our best!"

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"I must thank Yuki for his foresight in buying your suit," Mitsuru smiled at the white-haired boy seated in the limousine beside her.

"You know, this was meant to be armor," the boxer grunted as he attempted to undo his tie. "How do people wear this? It's so constricting."

"Must you take it off now?" the redhead sighed. "You really do look nice."

Akihiko paused at that and stopped pulling. "Well, thanks for taking me along. I had fun, despite it being a stuffy business party."

Mitsuru frowned as she stared down at her fancy black dress. "That's a relief… I was beginning to think you were feeling out of place. Although my fiancé was also there, it was reassuring to have you at my side. So thank you."

"Don't mention it. I really did enjoy myself there," he nodded. "Besides, backing you up is a lot more interesting than another 'operation' with Junpei…"

"An 'operation'?"

"N-no, it's nothing," Akihiko shook his head. He paused as he wondered how the younger kids at the dorm were doing. "I hope they're out enjoying Christmas too…"

"Yukari had made plans for a girls-only party, but I suspected only Hamuko would be the only one free to join her."

"Oh, that's right. Fuuka would want to spend time with Minato, huh?" Akihiko frowned. "That leaves Ken with watching the dorm… I hope he's okay."

The limousine slowed to a stop and the driver turned his head back towards them. "We've arrived, Miss Kirijo." The man got out of his seat and hurried to let them out of the car.

"Thank you very much," the young woman nodded to the driver.

"Thanks," Akihiko smirked as he stepped out after her.

"My pleasure, ma'am, sir," the man politely bowed to them.

Akihiko watched as the black car pulled away from the curb, leaving them outside the dormitory building. Wondering why Mitsuru hadn't gone inside yet, he raised an eyebrow at her. "What's the matter?"

The redhead studied the windows to see which lights were on. "It's not that late and the lights in the lounge are on." After a few seconds of silence, she could make out Yukari scolding Junpei as Hamuko laughed in the background. "It looks like the party expanded to everyone else in the dorm. Avoiding their attention will be difficult."

"Yeah, but I'm sure we'll come up with something," Akihiko crossed his arms. He looked around and spotted the window to his room. "Good thing I left it unlocked today. Wait here."

"Akihiko, just what are you—?" Mitsuru sighed as the reckless boxer began climbing the tree closest to the building. "You're going to ruin your suit," she pointed out. "And hurt yourself."

"Heh," the boxer smirked. "I've done this bunch of times. Shinji and I used to sneak out like this some nights whenever you weren't paying attention."

"Oh, I assure you I was always aware of your nightly escapades," the redhead shook her head. "That's why I adamantly increased the number of nights you two were on console duty."

"Tch… That actually makes a lot of sense now," the white-haired senior shook his head.

"Senpai?" Minato's voice made Mitsuru jump.

"Y-yuki!?" The redhead quickly calmed herself. "And Yamagishi too…"

Fuuka blushed as she examined the older girl's attire. "Wow… You look beautiful!"

"Th-thank you…"

Minato didn't seem to care for that though as he spotted Akihiko up in the tree. "Are you two trying to break into the dorm without anyone else noticing? Because that's a very inefficient way to do it…"

"Nonsense," Mitsuru shook her head. "We are doing nothing of the sort."

"Then why not just use the front door?" Fuuka asked.

"Because…" Akihiko grunted as he climbed up higher. "This is more interesting!"

"Uh-huh…" Minato sighed. "But it's still very inefficient."

"Do you know of a better way to get inside?" Mitsuru asked him.

"If I help you and Akihiko-san, can I ask you for something?" The blue-haired boy's face brightly lit up.

Mitsuru sighed. "What is it?" Minato coughed into his hand and pulled the older girl aside.

"Hm?" Fuuka stared at the two oddly as her boyfriend was secretly muttering something to the strict upperclassman. "Minato-kun?" The junior watched as the senior's red eyes widened.

"Absolutely not!" Mitsuru shook her head. "That's against dorm regulations! And on a school night?"

"Then Fuuka and I are heading inside," Minato shrugged. "Good luck, Akihiko-san!" He grabbed Fuuka's hand. "Let's go…"

They made it up the steps but paused as Akihiko let out a yelp. The juniors looked up to see the boxer dangling upside-down from a branch. "A little help?" Akihiko wryly smirked.

Mitsuru groaned as she turned back to Minato. "Okay, I'll allow it this once, but only if you are successful."

A smile appeared on Minato's face as he helped Akihiko down. The white-haired senior thanked the shorter boy. "So how do you plan on getting us in?"

Minato pointed at the fire escape on the adjacent building. "Climb up that until it's possible to get to the roof of the dorm. I'll unlock the roof door from inside."

"Wait, we're still going in from the front?" Fuuka asked him.

"It'll be suspicious if all four of us end up sneaking into the dorm," Minato shrugged. "Besides, it's not like the two of us have anything to hide. Although… I think I'll need your help in tampering with the camera feed, Fuuka… I'm not too good at that." The blue-haired boy confidently smirked. "If all goes well, nobody will suspect a thing."

"You say that like we're committing a crime or something," Akihiko sighed. He shook his head as he studied the route Minato pointed out to them. "Hm… What do you think, Mitsuru? Should we give it a shot?"

The redhead crossed her arms. "If your plan is successful, I will comply with your request, Yuki. If not, I will execute you."

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Fuuka worriedly asked.

"Well, with what I asked for, I think it's fair," her boyfriend chuckled. "Just leave it to me to take full responsibility of the situation, Fuuka."

* * *

 **Final Notes:** I'll leave it to you whether Minato was successful... I like to believe he wasn't so got executed yet he breaks dorm regulation anyways and gets executed again... But uh... yeah... So the first time I played, it was the Portable version and I was pretty upset with how depressed everyone was because I was super gung-ho and ready to die. And it brought up a point with Aigis I still find somewhat strange. She thought the entire dorm was suffering from fear but everyone at this point is already determined to fight... Now, I guess her own fears are clouding her judgment, but... everyone seems pretty much okay with dying to me. That still didn't stop me from being petty and killing Ryoji though... Ahaha... and then I did a quick New Game Plus just so I could get Fuuka's ending... It wasn't an optimal playthrough as far as my Social Links went, but... ahah... It was my first time playing and everyone's got a playstyle that suits them. Mine just so happened to prioritize Fuuka... Strangely enough, I specifically remember spending Christmas Eve with her and then on actual Christmas Day, I finished her Social Link... And it may have been my imagination but I think Junpei made a crack about how Minato spent two days out late with a girl...


	48. New Year Resolutions

**Author's Notes:** Pokemon Moon is pretty different so far. The UI is super flashy though and I dunno how I feel about that. Usually I nickname my Pokemon using a Digimon-based theme but because I'm still kinda absorbed into Persona... Well... I have a Crabrawler named 'Akihiko' who I'm probably gonna rename 'Reiji' because of his color-scheme... Oh, for anyone curious, I picked Rowlet and named him 'Zhn'.

* * *

~31 DECEMBER 2009~

Ryoji let himself into the familiar dorm. He smiled as all of SEES were already gathered in the lounge. "Hey, long time no see…" he greeted them. He frowned as they all looked towards him with such somber expressions. "Midnight's just around the corner… At midnight, I will change from this form into something unrecognizable. So, have you reached a decision?" Everybody looked to each other but said nothing. Ryoji smiled to himself as he started towards the stairs. "Okay, I'll be waiting in Minato's room until midnight. Come see me when you have your answer."

Fuuka frowned as she watched him walk away from them. "Ryoji-kun…"

The raven-haired boy paused at the foot of the stars. "Oh, and one more thing. Don't let the fact that you'll have to kill me influence your decision. As I said before, I'm going to disappear anyways. I won't feel any pain by 'dying'. So, there's no need to worry about me." Junpei frowned at that thought but Ryoji began moving again. "I'll be waiting…"

As soon as the boy was gone, Mitsuru looked over to the twins. "Have you made your decisions?" The blue-haired boy said nothing as he tilted his head to the side. Both he and his sister wore identical smirks. "I understand," the senior smirked back at them. "You don't need to say anything." She checked the rest of the team. "Have the rest of you made your decision?"

"No need to ask me," Akihiko crossed his arms.

"You know how I feel," Yukari nodded.

Junpei tugged his cap down. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't on board."

"I'm with the rest of you," Fuuka said in determination.

"I'm in, too," Ken smiled.

"I have made my decision as well," Aigis nodded.

"Then, we're all in agreement, yes?" Mitsuru checked once more. Everyone nodded to her.

Akihiko looked at the twins. "Better let him know, then. Okay?"

Minato and Hamuko headed towards the room at the very end of the second floor. Ryoji was patiently sitting on Minato's bed, examining the plain living quarters. "Hey," the scarf-wearing boy greeted them as they entered. "It's been a long time since we talked like this in your room. I didn't think I'd ever be in this room under circumstances like these. I had a good time, you know… Back then." Ryoji frowned to himself. "Although back then, I didn't appear in this form, and wasn't known by this name."

"To us, you're still the same person," Hamuko told him. "Pharos or Ryoji… You're still our very important friend."

Minato nodded in agreement. "You've given us a great gift, Ryoji. So thanks… for everything…"

Ryoji studied their faces and frowned at them. "Don't tell me you've all decided to let me live… You're all going to risk your lives on a battle you can't win. But, you're the only ones here right now, so… I'll say this one more time. If you kill me, Tartarus, the Dark Hour, and your memories of the battles will all disappear. Tomorrow, you'll wake up a normal high-school student. You'll be able to live in peace until the moment of the Fall. But if you let me live, you'll spend every waking moment until that day in fear of your inevitable death. Nyx cannot be defeated…" He clenched his fists. "It's useless to fight her."

Minato shook his head. "We refuse to forget… We'd rather die fighting than forget…"

"But you understand Death better than anyone, Minato!" Ryoji cried as he stood up. "You've always been afraid of Death… I just don't want you to suffer…"

"Wouldn't I suffer more to forget about all of my friends!?" Minato asked.

Ryoji sighed as he knew the boy's mind was made up. He glanced up towards Hamuko. "How about you, Hamuko? Are you still thinking? Or, have you already made up your mind?"

Hamuko smiled at him apologetically. "This is what we've chosen, Ryoji…"

Ryoji painfully shut his eyes and turned his head away from them. "I guess my words didn't change your mind… There's still some time until midnight. I didn't want to have to show you this… but I have no choice." The twins flinched as light erupted around Ryoji as he took on Thanatos's incomplete form.

"Ryoji…" Minato frowned as the Shadow version of their Persona stood before them. He felt Hamuko slightly tense up in surprise beside him as this was her first time seeing the grotesque being.

"See…?" Ryoji's distorted voice echoed through Minato's bare room. "I'm not human. I will bring death to this world until I am finally satiated. Do not hesitate to kill me." The Shadow looked them both straight in the eyes, hoping they'd give into their fears. "I want you to think about this carefully. Is facing Nyx really the best decision…? Right now, you are all confused by the truth. But some things in this world cannot be changed. You do not understand this yet. Memories are ambiguous… Old ones can be replaced with new ones, creating a new reality. Don't you want to end all your friends' pain and suffering?" The twins refused to look away. "It's up to you. You're the only ones who can make this decision. Now, this is your last chance. Tell me your answer… Minato… Hamuko… Please… kill me… I don't want you to suffer…"

"No, Ryoji," Minato's blue eyes shone in determination.

Hamuko's red eyes flashed. "We won't kill you, no matter how many times you ask."

Ryoji let out a threatening roar, but neither twin flinched. With another flash of light, the raven-haired boy returned. He frowned into his scarf as he couldn't look at them both. "I understand. It's regrettable, but it's your life…" He sighed. "You can do what you want with it. I will respect your decision…" The sensitive Shadow couldn't help but sob to himself. He was surprised when Hamuko hugged him.

"It's okay, Ryoji…" she told him.

It took him a while to recollect himself. "Sorry…" He tried to smile at them both. "Let's go back to the lounge. I need to tell you guys how to confront Nyx."

The blue-haired boy shook his head. "It's fine… I'll give you both some time alone." He turned his back on them as he stepped out of his room. "I'm sorry things had to turn out this way…"

"Thank you… Minato…" Ryoji smiled to himself before working up the nerve to look at Hamuko. He sighed as the person he loved most worriedly stared into his eyes. "I should say my farewells to you, shouldn't I? This is the last time we'll be able to speak like this…" He painfully put on his biggest smile for her. "Thank you… Goodbye… And… I'm sorry…" He tightly hugged her. "I wish we could have had more time together… It was nice. I'm glad we met… I'm glad I knew you as Ryoji Mochizuki… I'm glad we could share these last few moments together like this." He buried his face into her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Even after everything, I still love you, Ryoji…" Hamuko whispered to him. "As much as I love Minato…"

When they let each other go, Hamuko noticed he was genuinely smiling. He stared at the ring on his finger before he slipped it off. "Could you… hold onto this?" he asked her. "This might be the part of me that's Minato saying this, but… it's proof that I was 'human', for however short a time… If you held onto it for me, I… I think I'll be able to stand it."

Hamuko accepted the Faint Glow Ring and carefully put it on, feeling her Fortune Link complete itself as she did so. "Of course…"

"I love you…" Ryoji said, staring into her eyes. After a few seconds, he forced himself to look away. "We should go back. The others will be worried, I'm sure…"

Hamuko nodded as she opened the door. She noticed her brother leaning on the wall, staring out the window. "Nii-san…"

"Go on ahead," he nodded. "I'll be right behind you." He seemed to be transfixed on the full moon shining down on him.

"Alright…" the brunette smiled. "I'm getting a drink then."

Ryoji paused in front of Minato and waited until the girl was out of earshot before speaking. "You love Hamuko so much, Minato…"

Minato stared at him with a deadpan expression on his face. After a while, the blue-haired boy sighed. "I never did thank get to thank Shinji-nii for taking care of her… I should at least thank you, Ryoji… Even if you were born from me…"

"I'm you, but I'm also not you," Ryoji chuckled. "It's rather strange, isn't it?"

"Well, it's not like my life was normal to begin with," Minato shrugged. He frowned as he considered something. "Back when you were inside us… and I could see Death… I never saw Reapers on myself even though I should have been able to. And then that night I faced Strega alone… You saved me. All this time, why were you only protecting me?"

"Because you were the one who accepted Death back then," Ryoji replied, "to the point of seeking it yourself. Besides," he lowered his gaze, "Hamuko wasn't supposed to…" He frowned as he didn't want to say it. He worriedly watched as Hamuko was patiently waiting for them. "Minato… please take care of your sister… She's such a wonderful person… I don't want her to suffer…"

"It's not like I want her to suffer either," Minato dryly stated.

"I'm serious," the raven-haired boy shook his head. "If Aigis and Hamuko are the same in that they're not supposed to be alive, you and I are the same in that we don't deserve to be here."

"Yeah…" Minato sighed at that. "But because we are here, we want to do everything we can. You don't have to worry about it, Ryoji. I know what I have to do."

"Good," Ryoji smiled as he looked into the blue-haired boy's eyes. "The two of you are everything to me… You both gave me a chance to live and experience the world for myself. I'll always cherish this 'life' I was given… As short as it was, I still want to thank you."

"I want to thank you too," Minato smiled. "Without you, we wouldn't have been able to meet the others. In the end, we both gave each other a 'life' to live."

"Beautiful lives filled with miraculous friendships," Ryoji wistfully sighed. "It's too bad miracles don't last forever."

"It doesn't matter," Minato shrugged. "What's important is that it happened." He flashed Ryoji a smirk before looking back at the full moon once more. After a while, the blue-haired boy started down the hall. It was about time they returned to the others. "Let's go… We've kept them waiting long enough."

"Yes…" the Shadow nodded.

"Hold on," Minato stopped once more. "I almost forgot." Ryoji turned towards him curiously and was surprised when the blue-haired boy punched him. "That's for breaking her heart."

Ryoji staggered backwards a bit but smiled at the overprotective brother in understanding. "Should I punch you too?" he joked.

"No," the junior sternly glared at him as he walked over towards his sister. "Sorry for the wait."

Hamuko shook her head at him. "Seriously, nii-san?"

"Well, I can't kill him, so that's the next best thing," Minato stated.

"It's alright, Hamuko," Ryoji chuckled. "Minato's just trying to be a good older brother."

The three descended the stairs together. The rest of their team had been waiting in the lounge with bated breath but at the first glimpse of them, Junpei jumped up. "Yo! What's up, Ryoji?"

The raven-haired boy tried to smile at his friend but he ultimately sighed. "It's an unfortunate decision… but it is yours to make."

"That's right," Yukari nodded, smiling at the unwavering twins standing behind him.

Ryoji knit his eyebrows together. "But you can't defeat Nyx…" he stubbornly stated. "It's impossible."

"But we must still try," Mitsuru told him.

"Personally," Akihiko crossed his arms, "I don't care if it is impossible."

Ryoji smiled as they all shared the same wonderful look of determination as Minato and Hamuko. "I understand." He glanced at the wall clock and took a deep breath. "It's almost midnight, so I'll keep this brief. I'll tell you where to find Nyx. You'll find her…" he glanced out the window, towards Gekkoukan, "at the top of Tartarus. On the promised day, you must journey to the top of the tower."

"When's the promised day…?" Yukari asked.

"Exactly one month from tomorrow…" Ryoji answered. "January 31st, 2010."

"The next full moon," Minato closed his eyes.

His Shadow nodded to him. "Nyx will descend to Tartarus… and the world will end. If you go to the top of Tatarus on that day, you'll be able to face her."

"One month…" Junpei frowned.

"Tartarus is a gigantic rift in the darkness of the night sky…" Ryoji continued to explain. "The tower exists for the purpose of Nyx's coming. It's a beacon to guide Nyx. With the Appriser's coming, Nyx learns that the way has been prepared, and descends there… As the Appriser, I usher Nyx into this world… and Tartarus welcomes her arrival. And thus, the demise will come."

Akihiko let it all sink in. "The tower exists for the purpose of Nyx's coming… That's why it's called the 'Tower of Demise'." He looked up at Ryoji. "But what you're saying is, we can fight Nyx if we reach the top?"

The younger boy nodded. "That's right… But remember," he glanced at everyone's expressions again, "from today, you'll fight against eternal despair. Like I've said so many times before, Nyx cannot be defeated. When you face her, you will finally understand this truth. And then, you will realize what it is you are trying to stand against."

If Mitsuru was afraid, she didn't let it show as she calmly nodded. "We understand. There's no need to keep telling us. January 31st… We won't forget that date."

Ryoji smiled at them all as he started for the door. "Well, I'll be going on ahead of you, then." He hid his sad expression behind his scarf. "I want to leave you while I'm still in this form."

Fuuka frowned as Juno had sensed his earlier transformation. "Ryoji-kun…"

The raven-haired boy only smiled at his counterpart's girlfriend before stopping in front of the blonde girl sadly staring at him. "Aigis…" Ryoji tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry for all the pain and suffering I put you through."

The robot gave him a steady glare. "I won't forget that you were my enemy…" her expression softened as she gave him a small smile, "and my friend."

Yukari stared at the robot in wonder. "Aigis…"

Ryoji bowed his head to them all. "Thank you. This will probably be the last time I'll see you all like this. But…" he focused his gaze on Hamuko and Minato. "I'll always be watching over you." He tried to put on his best smile for them. "Well, goodbye." His blue eyes shone with bittersweet tears. "Goodbye, Hamuko… My dearest…" He quickly turned away from them and opened the main door. "Best wishes in the coming year," he told them. "That's what you say on New Year's Eve, right?" The Shadow forced out a short cheery laugh. "See ya!" And with that, he was gone.

As the door closed behind him, the Dark Hour arrived. Minato and Hamuko frowned as they felt Ryoji's presence disappear into the darkness. The older twin closed his eyes and took a deep breath before checking on the rest of the team.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked. "No regrets, right?"

Junpei shook his head and smirked. "Heh, that Ryoji…"

Mitsuru smiled too as she looked out the window to see Tartarus standing in the distance. "We have one month until January 31st… Together, we'll reach the top."

The entire team looked to each other with determined grins. The twins paused as a light flashed before their eyes, signifying the completion of their Fool Arcana Social Link. They became surprised though when it was immediately replaced with the start of the Judgment Link. It seems as though all of SEES had evolved into the Nyx Annihilation Team. Their new goal was now clear and they would definitely do their best to succeed.

* * *

~1 JANUARY 2010~

Although she didn't get much sleep, Hamuko found herself wide awake as soon as the sun was up. She smirked as she glanced up at her calendar. It was the start of the New Year and there was a lot for them to look forward to. The brunette marked her calendar for the promised day but paused when someone knocked on her bedroom door. Not expecting anyone else to be up so early, the co-leader waited for a moment to make sure it wasn't her imagination.

"Helloooo? Are you up!?" Yukari called out.

"Sorry, I'm coming!" Hamuko opened her door with a smile.

"Morning! Oh wait, I mean… Happy New Years!" Yukari laughed.

"Happy New Years!" the red-eyed girl cheered.

The archer looked down the hall and pointed towards Mitsuru's room. "Hey, you wanna come to the shrine with us? Mitsuru-senpai prepared kimonos for us."

Hamuko brightened at that. "Ooh, let's go!"

"Then let's go get dressed! C'mon, the kimonos are in my room!"

* * *

Ken nervously peeked into the dining area and spotted Minato, Akihiko, and Koromaru gathered around the table. The young boy smiled as he approached them. "Happy New Year, Senpai!"

Setting his mug down, Minato cast the younger boy a concerned glance. "Were you able to sleep?"

"Uh, yes…" The brunet became worried something was wrong.

"If that's the case," the blue-haired boy smiled as he poured out a fresh batch of coffee for the elementary school student, "Happy New Year!" He handed him the mug and they held a toast.

Ken smiled at the leader. "Let's make this the best year ever!" He took a sip of the hot drink and slightly grimaced at how dark and bitter it was.

"Come on," Minato chuckled. "I thought you enjoyed it black."

"I do… It's just… you brew it way too strong, Yuki-san," he told the older boy with an embarrassed blush.

"No kidding," Akihiko sighed. "I don't think there's enough protein powder in the world that would make me drink a drop of something as nasty as that."

Minato narrowed his eyes on the senior. "Spoil my special blend with even an iota of protein powder and I will end you for such blasphemy."

The boxer tensed up as he sensed the younger boy's murderous intent. "Relax," he shook his head. "I'm not gonna touch it. It's way too gross."

"That's because you don't know how to appreciate its fragrance," the track star shrugged as he savored the brew's strong aroma. He carefully set his mug down on the table and looked at the elementary school student struggling to drink the coffee. Minato sighed and shook his head. "It's okay if you want to add a bit of sugar and cream, Ken. It should help tone the bitterness down just enough for you to enjoy it."

"Thanks," Ken gratefully smiled as he reached for the unopened bottle of creamer. As he stirred the caramel-colored liquid in his mug, he looked around the empty dorm. For some reason, the building seemed much quieter than usual. "It's New Years, but there's nothing really special to do."

"Well," Akihiko smiled, "you can always wish people a New Year's greeting… Like, 'Have a great year'!"

"Yeah," Ken nodded at that. Koromaru happily approached the boy and Ken began petting him. "Happy New Year to you too, Koro." The dog barked as he returned the best wishes.

A loud yawn made them all turn towards the stairs as Junpei finally came down. "Oh man…" the capped boy sighed as he stretched towards the ceiling. "I completely overslept. Why'd I stay up all night watching that stupid movie…? Did you guys see it?" He smiled at the other guys. "It had these giant Amazon women running around in the jungle…"

"Why would I watch that?" Akihiko frowned.

Ken smiled as the two older boys were getting into another friendly argument. After a while though, he looked up towards Minato. "Um, is anyone gonna visit the shrine?"

Akihiko paused at that. "No," he shook his head. "I don't believe in superstitions."

"Me either…" Junpei smirked.

"Eh?" Minato tilted his head to the side. "I am…" He looked over at the brunet staring up at him expectantly. "If you want, you can come with me, Ken. It's too bad Junpei and Akihiko-san don't want to come." A mischievous smirk appeared on his face. "The girls are already there." His blue eyes gleamed. "And they're all wearing kimonos."

Junpei perked up at that. "Kimonos, huh?" He started for the front door. "Um, I'm gonna run to—"

Akihiko sighed as the simple junior took the bait. "Hold it right there, Junpei."

"Uh, what?" the capped boy smiled innocently at the senior.

"You're going to the shrine, aren't you?" The boxer eyed him suspiciously.

"N-no, I'm not…" Junpei tried to deny it. "I'm just going for a walk…"

"Oh yeah?" Akihiko smirked. "Well, I'm going with you, then. I'm bored."

"Oh, I'll go too!" Ken brightly said, happy they were changing their minds.

"Alright then, let's go," Junpei said. He looked over to Minato as the leader finished downing his coffee. "You coming?"

"Of course," the blue-haired boy nodded, setting his mug down on the table.

"Anyone know where it is?" Akihiko asked.

"Yeah, the girls told me the directions," Minato nodded.

Junpei shook in anticipation. "Sweet!"

"Directions?" Ken curiously frowned at the SEES leader. "Isn't it just at Naganaki Shrine?"

"If that's the case," Minato nervously shifted his eyes to the side, "Why don't you lead the way?"

* * *

Hamuko smiled at all of the people visiting the shrine. All of them seemed so happy even though they didn't know about the impending doom. It was a refreshing sight given the melancholy the dorm felt during the previous month. The brunette was a bit envious of the visitors' ignorance, but seeing them also furthered her resolve.

Yukari noticed her staring at a nearby family. "Have you decided what to wish for?" she asked.

"To get through the year," Hamuko replied with a nod.

Mitsuru chuckled. "So did I." She fondly watched as a young girl and her father picked fortunes. "A common wish, but it holds a particularly important meaning this year…" The five friends lined up and made their wishes together. Afterwards, the senior smiled at the four juniors around her. "There's nothing to worry about. I have the utmost certainty that we can do this."

"Yeah," Yukari nodded.

Fuuka smiled at them but thought she heard some familiar yelling in the distance. Turning to face the shrine entrance, she pointed out the boys. "Oh, it's Junpei-kun and the others."

Minato sauntered up to them, hands in his pockets. A relieved expression appeared on his face as they finally reached their destination. "Happy New Year," he nodded to them with a smile.

"Happy New Year!" Yukari cheerily told him back. "Let's all do our very best this year! But man," she frowned as the other boys caught up, "you guys are late. We were just about to leave."

Junpei blinked at the archer. "Y-yuka-tan…"

The junior's face slightly went red as the boy continued to stare. "Wh-what?" she glared at him uncomfortably.

The capped boy quickly looked away but found his eyes land on Mitsuru instead. The redhead didn't seem to notice though as she wished the boys well. "Happy New Year!" When she looked towards Junpei, she frowned. "Hm? What's the matter, Iori?"

"Mitsuru-senpai…" Junpei nervously smiled. "You look hot… I, um… heh... I mean…"

"S-stop staring at me…" Mitsuru narrowed her eyes.

"You'd better do as she says," Minato warned. "An Execution right off the bat isn't the best way to start the New Year." His cheeks went red as he stared at his beautiful girlfriend. "Although… I am feeling a bit… warm…"

Fuuka blushed as his blue eyes had been completely focused on her ever since he arrived. "Um, I've never worn a kimono before… Does my sash look okay?"

"Fuuka…" Junpei smiled at her. "You look… Wow!"

"B-back off, Junpei!" Minato growled at him.

"G-geez…" Fuuka sighed as her overprotective, and rather possessive, boyfriend pulled the taller junior into a headlock.

Aigis looked down at her own attire. "This traditional clothing is quite interesting. However," she frowned, "it's quite difficult to move in…" She blinked as Junpei began gawking at her next.

"A-Ai-chan…" The junior smirked as he pushed Minato aside. "Considering what you usually wear, that looks even more amazing on you!"

A bit flustered, the blonde robot nervously took a step back. "I-is that so…? What is this odd sensation I feel…?" she wondered.

"Aw… Ai-chan's getting embarrassed," Hamuko teased the robot. She blinked as she noticed Junpei staring. "Hm? What's up, Junpei?"

"I gotta say…" her best friend nervously chuckled. "Um… You look pretty cute yourself, Hamuko…"

"Really?" the brunette looked at the other guys and noticed them all blushing. "Aki-nii? Ken-kun?"

"Hamuko…" Akihiko smiled at the younger girl before Minato began glaring at him, slightly threatened by the boxer taking his position as Hamuko's older brother. "Oh, huh… I-it's nothing!" Not wanting to push the Hellhound too far, the white-haired boy decided to speak to Mitsuru. He was stunned speechless though at the sight of her and the only thing he could do was bring a hand up to cover his extremely red face. "Gah! M-mitsuru—!"

"You sure look beautiful, Hamuko-san," Ken said with a chuckle. He lowered his gaze to ground as he didn't quite know what to do in a situation like this. "This is… kind of embarrassing…"

"Ah…" Junpei brightly looked up at the sky. "I'm so glad I came… New Year's kicks ass! Yah!"

Aigis stared at him in confusion. "Junpei-san, why are you acting so strange?"

"It's Junpei…" Minato sighed. "This is how he usually is…"

The capped boy smirked as he threw his arm around their leader's shoulders. "Man, we got to see some great stuff today." He looked towards the boxer still staring at Mitsuru. "Right, Akihiko-senpai?"

"Uh…" Akihiko quickly averted his gaze. "I-I guess so."

"Come on," Junpei frowned. "Don't be like that." He noticed the boy beside him staring at Fuuka again. "Even Minato's enjoying himself."

"Do you want me to kill you?" the leader glared at him.

Ken curiously tilted his head to the side as he pulled on Hamuko's arm. "Hey, aren't you guys cold?"

"Huh? Cold?" Hamuko blinked at him.

Yukari shrugged. "A little, but I love this time of year…"

"Um, that's not what I meant…" Ken shook his head. "Junpei-san said that you guys aren't wearing anything underneath your kimonos."

"He said WHAT…?" Fuuka asked.

"HUH!?" Junpei tensed up as the girls glared at him.

Yukari narrowed her eyes. "Wow, you've really taken Ken-kun under your wing, huh?"

"Nonono," the capped boy backed away as Yukari approached him. "Wait, wa—" He flinched as the brunette slapped him. "OW!"

Minato shook his head as the other girls decided to join in too. "Let's make our prayers, Ken," he ushered the younger boy along. "No need for us to get involved in Junpei's misfortune." He flashed the capped boy an apologetic smirk. "Sorry, buddy."

* * *

Minato finished making his wishes early and spotted someone he didn't expect to see at the shrine. "It's rare to see you outside of Escapade," he smiled as he approached the fortune teller.

"It is a New Year after all," she smiled back. "Oh… it seems as though you have a new fortune… It's brighter than before… Would you like to know what it is?"

"Yes, please," Minato bowed.

"Very well…" She closed her eyes and focused on the boy's upcoming future. "You have pulled the trigger of fate… I see it now… The target was the shadow of impending doom… Your goal is now clear… Keep your flame of life ablaze until the end…" She opened her eyes and noticed his blue eyes shining. In the distance, the Den Mother spotted a group of teenagers calling out for the blue-haired boy. She bowed to the SEES leader. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

"Thank you," Minato said to her before he returned to his friends. "Sorry about that."

"What was that about?" Akihiko frowned at him.

"I wanted to get a fortune," the blue-haired boy shrugged.

"I didn't know you enjoy that type of stuff," Junpei blinked at him.

"You'd be surprised at all of the random things Minato-kun likes," Fuuka giggled.

"Really? Now I'm curious," Yukari smirked at their leader only to have him sigh. She looked at the rest of the boys. "So, did you guys finish making your wishes?"

"Of course we did," Junpei smirked. "Oh, but I ain't telling you what I wished for. I heard your wish won't come true if you tell anyone!"

"Isn't that what they say about prophetic dreams?" Fuuka asked.

"Both sound a bit off to me," Hamuko crossed her arms. "Nii-san, what do you think?"

"I always thought it was good luck to tell another person of your dreams and wishes," Minato smiled. "It's like it amplifies the chances of it coming true… But it's Junpei's decision to reveal it or not."

"Eh," Yukari smirked, "it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to figure out what Junpei wished for."

"Wh-what's up with that?" Junpei frowned. "What, you think it's gonna be something like, 'I wish to meet a hot babe', huh? Well, shows what you know! What I really wished for is—"

"The same thing we all did, right?" Yukari winked. "It's 'I wish to prevent the Demise'!"

"Huh?" Junpei blinked at her before a smile reappeared on his face. "Yeah…" He raised a fist into the air. "Let's nip it in the bud."

"Uh-huh!" Fuuka agreed.

Yukari nudged Junpei with her elbow. "Besides, don't you go for younger girls, anyway?"

"What!?" the capped boy's face went slightly pink.

"Whoa, did I guess right?" Yukari blinked at him in surprise. "Creepy."

"What about you, Minato-kun?" Fuuka curiously asked the quiet boy standing at her side. "What did you wish for?"

"Hm?" The blue-haired boy blushed when he realized he had been caught spacing out. "My wish?" he wore an embarrassed smile. "Oh… uh… I just wished for a great year. Not very impressive, is it?"

"It's a bit generic," Fuuka nodded, "but that's what I really want too."

Mitsuru smiled in agreement. "That's what I want as well."

"How funny…" Yukari lightly laughed. "We all wished for the same thing."

"But," the senior looked at the rest of the team, "it wasn't a plea for help. I know that we'll be victorious."

"Damn right," Hamuko smirked as she voiced Minato's thoughts.

"Don't go saying stuff like that for me," he sighed.

"But it was written all over your face," his sister laughed.

Fuuka giggled at the twins before noticing it was getting late into the day. "We should get going."

"Yeah," Hamuko nodded. "Let's go home…"

* * *

~B*A*D~E*N*D*I*N*G~

Minato and Hamuko frowned at each other as they reached for their Evokers. Ryoji gently smiled at them. "So… you understand." He frowned as he could see the guilt in their eyes. He tried to ease their minds over them betraying the others' trust. "I think that looking to the future is a great way to live. But, that doesn't mean that other ways of living are wrong." He shook his head. "No one knows which road leads to happiness." The raven-haired boy looked into Hamuko's red eyes. "I'm glad I met you. This must be what it means to 'feel happy'. I understand that now… as well as what it is to love someone…" He glanced towards Minato and noticed the blue-haired boy seemed to want to cry. "Minato…" Ryoji shook his head at them before taking a step back. "Hamuko… Goodbye, my dearest… Thanks for everything…"

The twins simultaneously pulled their triggers with their eyes closed, unable to watch Thanatos destroy their friend before them. All of their thoughts faded, like chalk on a sidewalk. The next time they opened their eyes, neither could remember what they were doing or what had happened as a strange peace returned to the dorm. Time quickly passed until finally, it was March 5th, the day of the graduating ceremony for the current seniors of Gekkoukan High.

Minato stared at his reflection and fiddled with the grey and blue headphones he wore. He frowned as he felt something about the speakers bother him. _Didn't someone important to me build this for me?_ He tried to remember who it was but some knocking disturbed him from his thoughts.

"Nii-san," Hamuko let herself into his room, "we need to leave now or else we'll be late."

"Right… Sorry…" He frowned as he grabbed his schoolbag and followed her out. He blinked as he noticed his sister wore a similar set of headphones. "Hamuko…?"

"Hm?" The brunette turned her head back towards him. "Is something wrong? You seem a bit out of it today."

"These headphones…" He knit his eyebrows together. "How did we get them?"

"Huh?" Hamuko frowned at her set. "These old things?" She removed her headphones and studied them. "Actually… I can't remember. It's not like it's important," Hamuko shrugged. "They're just a normal pair of headphones, right? You can find a set like these at any electronics store."

"Any store, huh?" Minato seemed quite dubious as he noticed the engravings etched into each speaker on his pair. On the left was the character for wind while the right read flower. Something about those words should have had meaning to him, but he couldn't quite place his finger on what it was. Oddly enough, the characters for his name were also etched onto each side, but instead of his last name reading Shirogane, it read Yuki. _Minato Yuki?_ He intently stared at that name. _Harbor of courage… I admit that sounds a lot nicer than 'harbor of the white bell' but… I'm not a Yuki._

Hamuko noticed her brother tracing his fingers over the engravings. Concern washed over her face as it wasn't like him to be so lost in thought. "Nii-san? Are yours broken or something?" Minato lifted his gaze and shook his head. "Then let's hurry up and go already." She waited patiently for him to catch up with her before they left the dormitory building.

They walked towards the station and waited for the next shuttle. Minato was silent the entire walk, but Hamuko was used to it. Spending a year in the city hadn't changed him much. It had been another year of them going through high school, doing whatever they felt like. Without any hobbies or work, it had been a bit boring, but at least they made a few decent friends. Not like that mattered in the long run; they were going to move as soon as Final Exams ended after all. Iwatodai had been nice, but they were due to return to the Shirogane estate to prepare for their next assignment.

 _I still don't get why we were sent here. There was nothing to look into._ Hamuko frowned to herself. _I hope our next case will actually be memorable._ She wanted to bring it up with her brother, but noticed he found something else to divert his attention. "Nii-san?"

"Check that out," he pointed at the albino dog patiently waiting at the crosswalk. "Shiba inu. Pure bred. Even rarer is the fact that it's albino."

"Alpha… Male…" Hamuko smirked. "I see a shrine tag on his collar so he must live around Naganaki Shrine." The girl paused as she remembered she had an old, dirty collar in her room for some reason. "Huh…?" As she recalled, the name written on the tag was… "Koromaru…?"

"Eh?" Minato was impressed by his sister's skill. "How'd you figure out his name?"

"He lives at the shrine and goes on walks alone ever since his owner, a priest, died," Hamuko told him with a frown. "He's a fiercely loyal friend… But… I don't know how I know all that… I just… do…"

"Hm…" Minato watched as the dog disappeared out of sight. Soon after, he turned his head towards the station. "The train's late today…"

Hamuko glanced at her wristwatch. "Yeah…" She blinked as she wondered how long she was wearing a watch. "Hey, nii-san? Did I always own this?"

"Dunno…" Minato shrugged.

"Did you buy this for me?" Hamuko asked with a frown. Her brother shook his head. "For some reason… I feel sad looking at it…"

"Then take it off," her brother bluntly stated.

The brunette shook her head. "I can't do that… I feel like I'm betraying someone if I do…" She lowered her gaze. "Is that weird?"

"No…" Minato frowned as he played with his headphones. "Not really…"

The twins sighed as they rode the monorail to Port Island Station. Glancing down the alleyway leading to the back of the station, Hamuko shivered. The image of a brunet bleeding out in front of her flashed in her mind, forcing her to grab her brother's arm.

"Hamuko?" her brother looked down at her worriedly.

"S-sorry… I just…" She looked around before hugging her left wrist. "It's nothing…"

"You sure?"

"I'm sure…" Hamuko nodded. They continued towards their school, passing by a group of elementary school students.

"Come on, Ken!" a boy laughed. "There's going to be a Featherman Special after school today. You can come over to spend the night if you want."

A short, brown-haired boy wearing an orange hooded jacket and shorts smiled at that. "That sounds fun! Alright, let's go!" He cheerfully laughed as he chased after his friend.

"Hm…" Minato watched the young children enviously. He and his sister stopped to stare for a while before the older twin shook his head to get his mind out of the clouds. "What are we doing?" he asked himself as he sternly brought them both back on track. "We'd better stop getting caught up in these various distractions and get going."

"R-right…" the brunette nodded as she followed after him. "But… it's strange, isn't it? We're not usually this unfocused."

"Yeah… Do you think something's wrong with us?"

"I don't know… But between your headphones and my watch…" Hamuko frowned to herself. "It's like we've forgotten something very important to us… but I don't know what it is…"

"Maybe it's because we haven't been working lately," Minato shrugged as he stared at her in concern. "The lack of cases is just making us remember things that didn't really—oof!" Minato bumped into a girl in front of him.

"Nii-san!" The brunette caught him as he bounced back a little. She turned towards the startled teal-haired girl. "Sorry… We weren't paying attention to what was ahead of us." _Again, that's not like us…_

The blue-haired boy frowned as he noticed he caused the girl to drop her bag. Some of her things spilled out and he hurriedly knelt down to help her pick it back up. "Sorry…"

"N-no, it's fine!" the flustered girl stammered. "I shouldn't have been stopped in the middle of the sidewalk," she bowed her head to him in apology. When she lifted her gaze, her brown eyes locked with Minato's blue ones. "You're…" She frowned as she thought she recognized him from somewhere. "I'm sorry… Have we… met?"

"N-no…" Minato shook his head. "I don't think so…" He continued to stare at her before realizing they were still on the ground. "U-um… Here, let me help you up."

"Thank you," the girl smiled at him as a blush appeared on her face.

Hamuko worriedly looked them both over. "You're both okay, right?" The red-eyed girl paused as she noticed the girl's sun-shaped necklace charm. _Huh? That looks familiar…_ She was about to ask her brother about it, but noticed he couldn't take his eyes off of the soft-spoken girl. "Nii-san?"

"I know you…" he muttered. "Don't I?"

The brown-eyed girl frowned at him. "Maybe we're just mistaking each other for someone else?" She placed a hand on her necklace as she continued to scan his familiar face.

Minato adamantly shook his head. "No…" His hands went up to his headphones. "That can't be it…"

The warning bell rang and the girl tensed up. "Oh no… I'm in charge of morning duties today! I'm sorry!" She bowed to him before took off towards the school.

"W-wait! Fuu…" Minato tried to reach out to her, but he ended up blankly staring at his outstretched hand with wide eyes, "…ka?" _Wind… Flower…_ He stared down at the speakers he always wore. _Fuuka…? Is that your name? Were you the one who…?_ He frowned as his own thoughts didn't make any sense to him.

"Nii-san? Did you know her or something?" Hamuko asked him.

The blue-haired boy trembled as he felt an intense pain grow within his chest. "I… don't know…" he shakily stated. "But… I should… Shouldn't I?" He wore a painful scowl. "Why can't I remember…?"

"Minato…" For some reason, Hamuko wanted to go after the girl too. She had a need to figure out who that girl was to her brother. It hurt the brunette to see the quiet junior this way since he's never been very good at expressing himself outside of investigating. She placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him that she was still at his side though. "Nii-san… That necklace she was wearing… It looked a lot like your old locket…"

"Did it?" Minato frowned. "But I lost that locket a long time ago… Maybe it was just a coincidence…" He tried to think back to where he had seen the girl before but he was beginning to get a headache. "Urgh…"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko placed a hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever, but you should still take it easy… You might be right about us not being active investigators… Maybe you're just tired…" She fidgeted with his music player. "Why don't you listen to something to calm yourself down?"

The boy sighed as he slipped the headphones on. "Yeah…" He took in a deep breath as just having them on comforted him already. _Whenever I listen to these headphones, it will be like you're here with me, no matter how far apart we are…_ he recalled someone telling him once. _But… just who are you? And what are you to me…?_ He wore a sad frown.

Hamuko sensed her brother was still in pain, but paused when she heard someone calling out for them. She turned around and spotted a friend of theirs running towards them with a bright smirk on his face. She nudged her brother. "It's Junpei."

"Yo!" the capped junior greeted them. "Damn, it's cold. But of course, you never miss a day of school." He laughed as Minato gave him a deadpan stare. "Man, can ya believe this year's already over? We're practically seniors now. Just one more year… Ya think anything interesting will happen?"

"Probably not," Hamuko shook her head.

"It doesn't really matter to us since we're moving after next week anyways," Minato reminded him.

"Oh yeah…" Junpei frowned at that. He sighed as he looked at the burnt out upperclassmen around them. "Well, seeing the current seniors makes me wonder… Seems like all they frickin' do is study. Talk about boring. Is that gonna be us next year?"

"Wasn't that us this year, too?" Hamuko asked.

"I don't know," the capped boy shrugged. He frowned as he couldn't quite recall the past school year. "Huh… Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" He paused as he sensed someone watching them. He spotted a blonde girl staring at them from behind a tree. "Hey, is that girl looking at us?" He brightened up and nudged Minato with his elbow. "Dude, she's pretty cute! How come I never noticed her before?"

Yukari suddenly came up behind them. "What are you talking about? She lives in the same dorm as us."

"Isn't she in our class too?" Minato asked with a frown.

"Seriously!?" Junpei's eyes widened. "Uh… What's her name, then?"

"I dunno," Yukari shrugged.

"Well then, why're you giving me a hard time?" Junpei frowned at her.

Minato and Hamuko frowned to each other as they had that strange feeling again. This girl was also someone they felt knew, but couldn't remember knowing. Another person important to them but they couldn't recall how or why. Hamuko tilted her head to the side as she studied the blue-eyed girl.

"What? Do you know who she is or something?" Junpei asked Hamuko as he noticed the twins were frowning to each other the way they did when they were deep in thought.

"Aigis…" the red-eyed girl muttered. "Her name's Aigis."

"But we don't know her," Minato shook his head.

"Figures, you don't," Junpei sighed. "Anyway," he shook his head, "it's always crazy in the dorms this time of year, with so many people coming and going. You two probably haven't noticed since you've been packed for weeks."

Hamuko shrugged. "We've gotten pretty efficient since we move around a lot anyways."

Yukari frowned at the two. "Too bad you both can't stay for another year. You two were pretty cool. Good luck wherever you end up next year."

"Thanks," Minato nodded to her. "Although, the seniors probably need it more."

"Oh yeah," Junpei smirked at him, "did ya hear? Akihiko-senpai's movin' out. Ya know, the Captain of the boxing team?"

"I know who he is," Yukari nodded, "but I haven't really talked to him. Of course, all the graduates are leaving, even Kirijo-senpai."

"Ms. Student Council President…" the capped junior mused. "She's in our dorm too, huh?" He chuckled to himself. "Hey, wasn't there another girl living with us?" he elbowed Minato. "Right across from your sister's room… Something Yamagishi…"

"Yamagishi…?" Minato furrowed his eyebrows as the teal-haired girl from before came into his mind. _Is that who you are? Fuuka… Yamagishi…? Why do I feel like you're extremely important to me? But if that's so… why can't I remember who you are?_

"Dude, you look sick," Junpei stared at him in worry. "All I did was bring up a girl…"

The blue-haired boy shook his head. "She's not just some girl…" Minato quietly murmured into one of his speakers. "I should know her… Shouldn't I…?"

"Is something wrong with your brother?" Yukari asked Hamuko.

"I don't really know," Hamuko frowned as her brother looked as though he wanted to cry. "Nii-san…"

 _This isn't a way an investigator should hold himself,_ Minato scolded himself. "I'll be fine," he stated as he pulled himself together. "Anyways…" he pointed at the strange girl he sensed behind them, "it looks like that Aigis girl is following us."

"Man, what's up with her?" Yukari wondered aloud. She turned around and waved at the blue-eyed teen. "Hey, there! Are you looking at us? Is something wrong?"

"Um…" Aigis tensed up as the four teens turned to stare at her. "It's nothing," she shook her head before running away. Hamuko frowned as there was a strange melancholy in the girl's eyes.

Junpei noticed it too. "She looks kinda depressed, doesn't she?" He perked up at another thought. "Wait, do ya think she might be interested in me!?"

Yukari laughed at that. "I doubt it."

"Ouch," the capped boy winced. "That hurts."

Hamuko giggled at their antics but checked the time. "We'd better hurry to the classroom and check in. The graduation ceremony will be starting soon."

After checking in with Toriumi, they found themselves in the auditorium. Hamuko frowned as she tried to recall their last assembly. Hadn't it been a memorial for a senior who died in the fall? The brunette found it getting more difficult to breathe as she tried her best to remember the incident. She noticed herself holding her wrist watch to her chest and wondered when she developed such an odd habit.

 _Is my watch related to that person?_ She studied the face of her watch, hoping it would give her some answers. The design of the full moon only stared back at her before she noticed something wet dripping down her cheeks. _Huh…?_ She absently wiped up the tears. _Am I crying…? Why…?_ She quickly pulled herself together when she realized the entire school body began clapping. She followed along to not arouse the suspicions of her friends sitting beside her and glanced up at the stage to see Mitsuru Kirijo take the podium. _Oh, I missed her introduction…_

"Thank you," Mitsuru nodded to the teacher. The twins frowned to each other as it seemed as though the Student Council President didn't seem all that enthusiastic about graduation. Still, Mitsuru took a deep breath before beginning. When she finally spoke, her tone was even but the twins noticed it wasn't full of the same confidence the older girl had exuded in the beginning of the school year. "This last year," she began, "I accepted an important responsibility as Student Council President. When I first addressed you from this podium, I spoke to you all about seizing opportunity while you had the chance…" A bitter smile appeared on her face. "Well, it must have been fate that intervened and gave me an important reminder of this… As many of you know, my father unexpectedly passed away due to illness…" The graduating senior faltered a bit but did her best to keep herself in check. "To tell you the truth, after losing my father, I also lost much of my self-confidence. You see, I had overestimated my ability to handle everything alone. Few people can be that strong…" Minato and Hamuko frowned to each other. "There are times when we cannot stand without the support of others…" Mitsuru paused to take another deep breath. "After my father's death, I received kind words from many people. You all taught me the value of allowing yourself to be cared for and protected. I would like to continue going forward with the support of those around me. For us graduates, it was truly an honor to share the last three years with all of you." Mitsuru bowed her head to the audience. "Thank you so much… for those wonderful years…"

The audience began clapping but Minato couldn't help but feel her concluding statement wasn't as heartfelt as it should have been. It was as though the senior lacked sincerity in her words and just forced them out because it was the most proper thing to do. Minato shrugged it off though as it wasn't his place to judge the heiress. He wasn't familiar with the senior and quite frankly, he didn't really care about anyone outside of himself and his sister.

 _Other people only get in the way and leave us in the end,_ he thought as he played with his headphones. _There's nobody else we can rely on in this world besides each other…_ He paused for a moment and frowned. _Right…?_ He glanced around the auditorium and spotted the teal-haired girl from earlier leaving now that the graduation ceremony was over. She didn't even seem to notice him staring and although it hurt to watch her, Minato decided to let her go. _Yeah… Hamuko and I are better off on our own._

Hamuko noticed her brother's gaze and shook her head at him. "Still distracted?" she asked him as she absently rubbed her thumb over the leather strap of her watch.

"Mm… Not really," he shrugged. "Just thinking about that speech Senpai gave."

Junpei pulled his cap down over his eyes. "She seems kinda bummed, doesn't she?" he asked. "I guess even Presidents cry too…"

"That was a surprise," Hamuko nodded.

"Well, she's only human," Minato sighed.

Junpei nodded before looking around. "Hey, where's that girl?"

Yukari frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You know," he smirked, "the girl we saw this morning. I assumed she'd be here…" Junpei frowned as he expected the blonde girl to have been nearby since she was a part of their class.

"Oh, her," Yukari rolled her eyes at him. "Well, there's a lot of people who aren't here. Actually, I'm surprised YOU didn't skip after roll call."

"Heh," the capped boy shrugged, "I thought about it. Anyway, next year it'll be our turn…" He curiously stared at the brown-eyed girl. "What have you got planned, Yuka-tan? College?"

"Mmm…" she crossed her arms as she thought about it. "I haven't really decided yet." She looked over to the twins. "What about you?"

"We've got plans," Minato shrugged, "sort of…"

"Oh, really?" Yukari smirked at him. "Well, I never would've guessed it."

"Well, it's more like our family has plans for us," Hamuko sighed. "In actuality, we have no idea what we want to do," the red-eyed girl admitted.

Her friend giggled at them. "That's what I thought." She paused as she looked up at the empty stage. "You know how the President was crying?" Yukari frowned to herself. "I can sorta relate, since my dad passed away too. But, that stuff she said about seizing opportunities?" She smirked at that. "Gimme a break. We're only in high school. I mean, yeah it's important, but can't it wait a few years?" she asked with a shrug. "But anyway, there's really no hurry to decide what we wanna do with our lives, right? I mean, high school's hard enough as it is."

"Yeah," Junpei nodded, "I can agree with that."

Minato stared at both juniors with slight envy. "It must be nice to have such freedom…" He fiddled with his headphones as he tried to consider himself having a future of possibilities, but found he couldn't do it. _There's nothing wrong with me letting the Kuzunoha clan choose how I live though. It makes things a lot simpler for me actually since I don't have to take responsibility for what happens._ "No, actually… I kind of like knowing what lies ahead on the path before me…" the blue-haired boy absently said aloud.

"Really?" Yukari raised an eyebrow at him only to have the blue-haired junior shrug. "Well, here's what I think… Sometimes you're better off not knowing. As they say, 'Ignorance is bliss'. Besides, you can't always be thinking about the future. In the end, it doesn't matter as long as you're happy." Minato paused at that as he couldn't help shake the feeling he was missing 'happiness' from his life somehow. "You've got to live in the moment—carpe diem, right?"

Junpei stared at the brunette in surprise. "Yeah, I guess so." After a while, he smirked. "Whew, that was some speech."

Yukari blushed at that. "To be honest, I'm not that strong of a person…" she admitted. "That's why I get worked up so easily. It's hard to explain. It's just the way I am."

"Hey," the capped junior shrugged, "I know where you're coming from. Thinking about stuff like that just gives me a headache. So, I try to avoid it as much as possible."

Yukari giggled at that. "Now, that's the Junpei we all know and love."

"Good ol' Junpei," Hamuko shook her head with a curt laugh.

"What?" Junpei smirked at the red-eyed junior. "Everyone's so uptight these days. Like you and your brother. You just need to chill out… You know, take it easy for a change."

The twins frowned at him before the younger of the two crossed her arms and smirked at the capped boy. "Oh, really? Just go with the flow, huh? What if that stream you're following heads straight off a waterfall?"

Yukari laughed at that. "Yeah. What're you gonna do if that plan backfires?"

Junpei shrugged. "Well, that'll be that. But for now, let the good times roll…" He threw an arm around Minato's shoulders. "Karaoke, anyone? Let's celebrate our future!"

"A graduation party, huh?" Yukari raised an eyebrow at her friends. "I'll go if they go," she nodded towards the twins.

"Well in that case," Junpei tightened his grip around the blue-haired boy so he wouldn't escape, "I won't take no for an answer. I'll buy ya drinks, alright?" he bribed the twins. "This could be like a going-away party too! What do ya say?"

Hamuko laughed. "I'm game. How about you, nii-san?" She looked up at her quiet brother expectantly. He took a moment to think it over but seeing as they had nothing better to do anyways, he gave them all a smile and nodded. "Alright! Let's start off with 'Memories of You' as usual!" Her brother chuckled at her song selection as he followed them out of the building and into the spring sun.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** The bad ending to me was the bad ending because there was no Fuuka in it... That and there went everyone's character development. Although... Mitsuru might have gotten some? Or maybe she was lying in her speech... But yeah... There were so many things wrong with that ending that I immediately regretted my petty decision to get back at the entire dorm for being weak indecisive fools... Revenge never plays out the way I want it to... Oh, and the fact that they still use "Memories of You" for the credit sequence? That's not fair considering they all forget and abandon each other anyways. It would be the twins' go-to choice for karaoke though. It's either that or them arguing over whether to play "Burn My Dread" or "Soul Phrase". Personally, I like "Soul Phrase" more but "Burn My Dread" is more fitting for the game.


	49. Strega's Messiah

**Author's Notes:** Okay, final stretch of chapters. After this there will only be 3 more to conclude the twins' Journey. As such, starting Wednesday, I'll be releasing them day by day to go along with Thanksgiving weekend. It was fun playing through the game again and writing this but everything must come to an end... Ahaha... It's a bit too early for me to go on about that right now, but all right. Let the third and final month of the game begin.

* * *

~8 JANUARY 2010~

Minato let out a sigh of relief when classes finally ended. He sank into his desk and frowned as the new semester was off to a strange start. Rumors were flying around about a doomsday cult. The entire school was abuzz with the news and a few students were passing out flyers to advertise the coming of Nyx. It didn't take much for the Hellhound to figure this was probably Strega's doing, but he didn't expect the whole city to be affected. This was most definitely going to become a headache for the entire Student Council and SEES to deal with.

 _Well,_ Minato wryly thought to himself, _looks like my work is cut out for me this semester._ He looked up when he sensed someone approaching his desk. "Junpei," he nodded at the capped boy smirking at him.

"Hey," Junpei greeted him, "you busy?" Minato looked around the empty classroom and shook his head. "Could you come with me for a sec?"

"Sure," the shorter junior nodded, getting up from his seat. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's no big deal…" the usually boisterous junior looked away from him. "Come on, man. It'll just take a few minutes." He turned towards the door. "Let's go to the rooftop."

Minato blinked at his friend before curiously following him out. They stood side by side as they looked out over the city together. After a few minutes of silence, Minato glanced over towards Junpei. "So what's up?"

Junpei wryly smiled at him. "We've never really had a chance to talk, have we?"

The blue-haired boy chuckled at that. "Well… I _do_ tend to keep to myself." Minato frowned to himself as he remembered something. "But there was that one time we talked about girl problems… Did that not count?"

"Not really," the capped boy smirked, "considering I didn't really have much to say to you back then." Junpei shook his head. "You know, you're not as easy to talk to as your sister…" A frown suddenly appeared on his face. "But I can't blame it all on that. I was always a bit jealous of you to ever want to talk to you like this…"

"You were?" Minato blinked at him.

"You never noticed?" Junpei raised an eyebrow at him.

The shorter junior shook his head. "There's really nothing about me to be jealous of… I'm just a coward in the end…"

"A coward? Are you serious?" Junpei smirked at him. "Good grades, Track star, Photography Club President, Gekkoukan Hellhound, leader of SEES… There's really nothing you can't do, huh?" The blue-haired boy frowned at himself. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that," the capped boy quickly shook his head. "I'm just… I don't know… I just wanted to tell you that's how I used to see you." Junpei noticed Minato was still pretty quiet so decided to change the topic. "It's almost Coming of Age Day, ya know. I used to think of it as a day off… But now, I wonder if I'm even gonna live long enough to celebrate it…"

"You worry too much," Minato shook his head.

Junpei laughed at that. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He studied the city for a moment and frowned when he noticed flyers littering the streets. "It's been pretty weird around here lately… People have been passing out, others have gone missing… Dude, it's crazy. Senpai said it's because there are too many Shadow victims and the memory revision can't keep up." He clenched his fists. "It's all gotta be because of this Nyx. Oh, and have you heard about that doomsday cult? They've been running around town telling everyone they see that the end of the world is coming…" He looked back towards Minato. "Man, we need to do something, and quick."

"People are just scared," Minato shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess they can somehow sense what's going to happen." Junpei narrowed his eyes as he considered something else. "But, it's not just Nyx, ya know… Two members of Strega are still alive. They haven't done anything yet, but I know they've gotta be planning something. And we need to take care of them, too."

Minato scowled as he thought of how much misery Strega put them through. "We'll definitely bring them down. I can trust you to watch my back when we do, right?"

"I'll be counting on you too." Junpei smiled as he nodded. He paused as he considered his own words. "Wow… Becoming such good friends that I'd trust you with my life…" He laughed a bit. "I never would've imagined that happening last spring. But then again, I never thought it would come to this. Ya know, I don't think it's completely hit me yet… It's just all so hard to believe… But, that doesn't mean we should just sit around and wait for it to happen."

"Of course not," Minato told him. "Our lives are the culmination of our choices, so we have to take whatever opportunity that comes our way. It just so happens we've all been given the chance to fight Death."

"You're pretty cool, man." Junpei stared at him in awe. "That thing was inside you for ten years, and you harnessed its power and made it your own…" The capped boy smirked at the blue-haired junior. "I'm glad I met you." The tall boy pulled his cap down as he could feel himself blushing. "It's embarrassing to say it, but… that's really how I feel."

"You're really not jealous anymore?" the SEES leader tentatively asked.

The taller junior shook his head. "Actually, I don't think anyone else could have done what you did. Ryoji said you used to sense when people were gonna die, right? With that ability, you were always doing your best to look out for all of us. You were worried about Chidori dying but you also wouldn't let me give up on her… Because of that…" Junpei placed a hand over his heart as he sensed Trismegistus's power inside him. "You ended up helping us both. When I think about it like that, there's no way I can hold anything against you. I mean… You've always had my back, even when I didn't deserve it." Junpei extended his arm towards Minato. "We'll always be friends, right? I mean, after this is all over?"

Minato smirked as he accepted his handshake. "Yeah," he nodded. "Together to the end."

"Cool," Junpei smiled. "Hey, one more thing?"

"What is it?" Minato asked, letting go of the boy's hand.

"Are you going out with Fuuka?"

Minato tensed up at that and his face went red. He hadn't quite expected this question from him and he contemplated whether or not to reply. In the end, he let out a sheepish answer. "Yes…"

"C'mon, dude!" the taller boy winked. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about! I'm happy for you, man." He suddenly became serious as he stared into Minato's blue eyes. "She's a good girl," Junpei patted the other boy's shoulder, "so treat her right."

The blue-haired junior knit his eyebrows together. "You know I will…"

"Good," Junpei nodded in approval. "Because if anything happens to her, you know the entire dorm will kill you."

"Glad to know how you all feel about our relationship," Minato sighed.

"Hey, lighten up, dude!" Junpei laughed as he threw his arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. "How 'bout some ramen? It's on me today!" He didn't even bother waiting for the slow boy to respond and instead pulled him along behind him. Minato smirked and shook his head as he went along with the excitable Magician.

* * *

Hamuko put down her violin when she noticed Junpei returning to the dorm with her brother. "Huh? It's rare to see you both hanging out," she greeted them.

"Is it?" Minato tiled his head at her.

"Yeah," the brunette frowned at them suspiciously. "Is something up?"

Junpei laughed. "Nah, it's nothing to be worried about. We were just having some guy talk today. Just the two of us."

"Really?" Hamuko smiled at them. "Any chance I can join in too?"

"No," her brother bluntly replied. "What part of 'guy talk' makes you think you'd be allowed?"

"Says the boy who butts into all of my 'girl talk' with Fuuka-chan and Yukari," the red-eyed girl pouted. "Anyways," she used her violin bow to poke her brother in the chest. "Mitsuru-senpai's asking for you upstairs for a strategy meeting."

Minato straightened up at that. "Don't tell me she's worried about the cult…" He quickly dug through his schoolbag for his notes. "Who else is there?"

"Aki-nii, Fuuka-chan, and Ai-chan," Hamuko nodded.

"What about you?" Junpei blinked at her. "You're our co-leader…"

"Investigating isn't really my forte and this has more to do with figuring out what to do about Strega than it does against Nyx." She shrugged before pointing to the stairs behind her. "Get going," she told her brother.

"On it," the blue-haired boy nodded, but he glanced over towards Junpei. "Sorry, Junpei…"

"No worries," the capped junior smirked. "You're our leader and the Gekkoukan Hellhound!" He laughed and winked at the shorter boy. "We're counting on you."

Hamuko watched as Minato smirked back before taking off upstairs. The brunette looked over to her best friend and chuckled. "So… you had a heart-to-heart with Minato?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Junpei shrugged as he took a seat on the couch. "He's actually pretty cool…"

"Took you long enough to figure that out," his best friend rolled her eyes. Hamuko set her bow down and began examining her violin strings. "So what'd you talk about?"

"Hey, it's a guy talk," the capped boy smirked.

"Aw… But we're best friends," Hamuko curiously pressed him, "and best friends don't really hide things from each other."

"It wasn't much," Junpei tried telling her. "We just talked about stuff… You know, things like Coming of Age Day."

"Like you'd both celebrate it," the brunette giggled.

"What," Junpei smirked, "you think we're not ever gonna mature or something?"

"Oh, you've both matured plenty, but you're still both boys," Hamuko stated. "And girls mature way faster than boys. That's a scientific fact!"

"Hm… You might have a point there," the tall junior crossed his arms. "Sometimes I feel like I haven't changed all that much, at least not compared to say Yuka-tan or Fuuka." Hamuko looked up from her instrument as she noticed he was being uncharacteristically serious. "Hey… I know I've run my mouth a lot, since the day we met… And yeah, maybe I called you 'cutie' a couple of times, and you mighta thought I was making fun of you… But I'm totally serious when I tell you I'd trust you and your brother with my life."

Hamuko softly smiled at that. "You know that goes both ways, right? You're my first real best friend. That much hasn't changed."

"Best friends…" Junpei remembered the first time she had called him that. As he recalled, she had slapped him for insulting her brother, but she still continued to believe in him anyways. "Yeah… I'm really glad to hear you say that. I didn't used to think so before, but it really means a lot to me to know you count on me that much. Thanks…"

"Well, if you ever doubt yourself, I can always slap you again," Hamuko teased him.

"Hey!" Junpei shook his head at her. "You won't ever have to do that again. I promise… I've got your backs whenever you need me. You can count on it," he said with a determined nod.

* * *

Mitsuru crossed her arms as she looked to the SEES field leader expectantly. "What do you think, Yuki?"

Minato intently stared at the command console and frowned to himself. "Still no sign of them, Fuuka?" he asked his trusty navigator.

"Sorry, but no," Fuuka shook her head. "They're pretty high up in Tartarus… I'm pretty sure it's past the blockade so even if you do try to go after them, you wouldn't be able to get far."

"The longer we leave them alone, the more out of hand the cult will be though," the leader sighed.

"You believe they're behind the cult?" Akihiko asked.

"I do, but as usual, I lack definitive evidence," the Hellhound let out a frustrated growl. "I _do_ have a lot of circumstantial evidence though." He pulled out a flyer for the cult and pointed at the symbol on the middle of the page. "Like this… If you take a good look at the marking you can make out the letters 'N', 'X', and 'Y'. Rearrange the last two letters and they spell…"

"Nyx," Aigis frowned. "So Strega must already know about the Fall…"

"The question is how much do they know…" Minato nodded. "Their positions are quite clear as they're recruiting more and more people to prepare for her arrival."

"They must know about Tartarus then," Mitsuru said, looking out the window and towards their school. "They were the ones who called it the 'Tower of Demise' after all. Besides using it to escape us, they must be biding their time until Nyx's coming."

Fuuka worriedly stared at Minato. "Do you think they know about you and Hamuko-chan?"

"About us carrying Death?" Minato tilted his head at her. She nodded and he quickly dispelled her concerns. "No… Well… At least… I don't think they knew about Hamuko. Me though… Takaya did want me to join Strega…" He thought back to the beginning of summer. "I had summoned Ryoji's Shadow form against him, sparking his interest in me."

"So he knows about Ryoji-kun!?" the teal-haired girl asked in surprise.

"No, probably not," Akihiko shook his head. "Ryoji was a special case. He only ever interacted with those connected with the school. Mitsuru pulled up his files and there was really nothing on his home life. Unless he was on a date, at school, or with friends, he pretty much didn't exist."

"That sounds about right," Minato smirked. "He _is_ my Shadow after all…"

"That's not very funny, Minato-san," Aigis shook her head at him.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," the blue-haired boy frowned. "I'm just saying… that's how I used to live too. You know… minus the whole friends and dating thing…"

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka sighed at him.

"But going back to Strega," Mitsuru sternly brought the juniors back on topic, "what can we assume they know?"

"It's kind of hard to guess since we barely know a thing about them," Minato shook his head. "Let's see… Tartarus, Nyx, and my relationship with Death aside, there really isn't much else for us to go on." He crossed his arms as he tried to consider another angle to attack the problem. "Oh!" He looked up towards the red-haired senior. "We should consider where they're getting their information. Ikutsuki is dead after all… You don't think there's another mole, do you?"

"No," the senior shook her head. "The ex-Chairman didn't have anyone close to him within the Group besides my father…"

"Scary…" Fuuka shivered. "He hid his true self from us so well…"

"Yes," Aigis nodded as she frowned. "He even kept his guard up around me… Ikutsuki seemed to have been a very prudent person when it came to his true intentions with the Dark Hour."

Minato wore a painful scowl. "I was the only person who suspected him, but I said nothing…" He began shaking as he remembered the jester-like Reaper. "He always had Death following him and it kept laughing at me… But even I didn't think he'd be so dead inside as to warrant something like the Fall." He crossed his arms and forced himself to calm down. "B-but anyways… If Ikutsuki didn't have anyone else within the Group to help him, then he must be the sole source of Strega's knowledge about the Dark Hour, the Fall, and Nyx."

"We'll need to look into his files further then," Mitsuru frowned. She looked up towards Fuuka and Minato expectantly. "I trust that you'll both get this done?"

"Of course," Minato haughtily straightened up.

"We'll do our best!" Fuuka nodded. The two juniors smirked to each other at a chance to investigate together. The teal-haired girl's eyes shone as she came up with an idea. "I've been meaning to test something with Juno. It's a little bit based off of what Chidori was able to do with Medea, but I think it might be able to work!"

"How curious," the blue-haired boy smirked. "We should try it as soon as I set up my laptop. It should be ready by tomorrow so on nights we don't go to Tartarus, let's work on this!" He brought a hand up to his face as he considered an important question. "Now should we work in your room or mine?" He paused as all eyes turned to him. "W-what?" he nervously asked. "It's a legitimate question…"

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka shook her head but smiled at him all the same.

* * *

~12 JANUARY 2010~

Transitioning into the final semester of the school year proved to be rather difficult considering the strange mood around town. However, as SEES decided to face Death head-on, one truth remained and that was life continues on, whether they wanted it to or not, and of course they wanted it. With a little over half a month left, everyone needed to undergo extensive training to raise the strength of their Personas. Well, everyone except the twins, that is.

As a part of their contract with Death, they still needed to fulfill their remaining few Social Links. The first of which was for their Temperance Link with Bebe. He was a rather unique friend of theirs, able to quickly balance both twin's distinct personalities into a style that reflected Minato's pragmatic traditionalism with Hamuko's more modern approach to Japanese culture. The two found it difficult to grasp themselves, but were surprised when Bebe managed to create a kimono based off of their aesthetics.

The blonde foreign transfer student had been ecstatic to show it off to them, but of course, he realized with the completion of the beautiful kimono, he would have to return to his home country. Using the material leftover, he created two money pouches, fitted to either twin's tastes. "It eez a sign of our friendship!" he told them as they accepted it. "Onegaishimasu… Please… Wait for my return, Minato-sama, Hamuko-sama. My favorite memories from Nihon… are all ze times we hung out togezer."

Hamuko smiled at the boy as she sensed he wanted to burst into tears. "We'll be waiting."

"We wish you luck," Minato nodded, admiring the craftsmanship of the pouch.

Bebe looked between the kind twins and nodded. "Z-zank you so—" he ended up bawling out of happiness, but his resolve was clear. He'd definitely return to make more memories with his friends in the country he loved. There was still so much for them to teach him after all. "Kanashii… It makes me sad, but… Tomorrow, I must go… Sayonara!"

The two siblings saw him off before smirking at each other. Minato shook his head as he put his pouch away. "We have to win now, you know," he stated. "We have to make sure there's a place for him to return to."

Hamuko agreed. "It's not a 'goodbye', but more of a 'see you again'."

But of course, that didn't hold true for all of their Social Links. As much as they were defying fate, they couldn't escape Death that easily. They've always known that, but things were different now. They had the will to live and it brightly burned within them. Akinari sensed that from them and that was why he was attracted to them, but his life was fated to be brief and there was nothing he could do about it. Still, it was thanks to the twins that he was able to come to terms with his tragically short destiny. He was able to make some sense of the meaning of life and he wanted to share his story and what he had learned with the twins before he passed on.

"Even though the alligator did not find meaning in his life, the residents of the forest did," the depressing author smiled to his dear friends. "They just didn't realize it…" he shook his head. "Because… the meaning of my life is not something I should worry about. It's really what others think of my life or what I was able to do for them. So…" he steadily gazed at the twins' calm faces, "for me, or you, or anyone… the meaning of our lives is something that we make but don't see. People can't survive without help from others. We all depend on one another." Akinari wryly smiled to himself. "I don't know if that made sense, but… Do you kind of get what I'm saying?"

Minato nodded as he agreed with the sickly boy's views of the world. "Yeah, I understand."

"I'm glad," Akinari gratefully sighed in relief.

Hamuko however shook her head at their slightly pessimistic perspectives. "I still don't get it."

Her brother only gave her a sympathetic smile as Akinari gladly tried to explain it to her. "That's just what I've found to be the meaning of life," the grey-haired boy stated. "Maybe you, or other people, will have different ideas about it. But… hopefully you can understand my point of view as well."

"Even if I do understand, it's still difficult to accept…" the brunette frowned. "You've written such a depressing yet beautiful story too..."

"Such is life," her older brother solemnly nodded.

"Well said," Akinari smiled at the understanding junior. He looked down at his lap and held up the Worn Notebook to Minato. "This is the notebook… I wrote my story in. It's all I have to leave behind. I want you to have something… since you shared my last moments."

"Wait…" Minato stared at it with wide blue eyes. "Can you really give this to us?"

"Don't leave us!" Hamuko cried, standing up from the bench. "You're… an important friend…" she sadly muttered.

Akinari studied the twins once more before struggling to stand up on his own. Minato tried to help him, but the grey-haired boy shook his head. He managed to get to his feet just fine without their aid. He stared down at his weak body with a serene smile on his face. "My… body feels lighter…" he said, happiness brimming his voice. "Thank you for everything…" he told the two siblings as he took a few steps past them. "Coming to see me, talking… even discussing the meaning of life… I…" He looked back once more to imprint their images into his mind. "I can be glad that I was born…" Although he didn't wish to part from them, Akinari forced himself to look towards the shrine entrance. "I have to go now…" he sadly stated. "Maybe… someday… I hope… we meet again." He disappeared into the light as the twins hung their heads.

Minato tightly gripped the notebook as Hamuko hugged herself. She looked up to her brother as tears filled her eyes. "Minato… why couldn't we save him too?" she asked in a meek whisper.

Her brother shook his head. "We did save him, Hamuko," he responded, fondly flipping through the notebook to reread Akinari's story. "We gave him his reason for living… He lived and that's what mattered…" He wore a resolute smile as he shut the notebook. "When we finally meet again, I want to be able to proudly tell him the meaning of our lives so until then… we need to keep living…"

Hamuko smiled as she knew her brother was right. Life continued on regardless of circumstance and there was no point in being stuck in the past. Even if Akinari was going on ahead of them, it was best they continued on their own path or else they'd be left behind by everyone else. It was a lesson Hamuko found herself teaching to Ken one night.

The young brunet frowned at Hamuko as he contemplated what it really meant to be 'left behind'. "Sometimes I think that my mother must've had regrets. She…" He lowered his gaze sadly. "She died, and left a kid behind, after all. But I have a lot of good memories of her. My mother left them for me… All those memories…" Ken reached into his pocket for a silver key. "They're in this key to the house I used to live in with her." He hesitantly held it up for older girl he considered his sister. "Um… I wanted to give this to you, Hamuko-san."

Hamuko blinked at the key that was now in her hand. "Ken-kun, I can't accept this. It's what you have left of your family…"

The boy shook his head. "But you and the rest of SEES are my family now," he said with a smile. "I'll always have memories of my mom, but I want to be able to make new memories too with all of you." His face grew warm as he stared at Hamuko. "Um… I really look up to you and Yuki-san… You're both very good older siblings, always watching out for me. That's why… I want to repay the favor and be a good younger brother for you!" The boy bowed his head to her. "Would that be alright with you?"

"You know, you don't have to be so formal around your family," Hamuko smirked at him. "I'm sure Minato wouldn't mind having a younger brother to care for either… Oh, but be careful around him. He's a very strict older brother."

"That's funny," Ken chuckled. "Yuki-san said for me to be careful around you since you love embarrassing him in front of the others." The brunet blinked. "And you have been teasing Sanada-san a lot more…" He suddenly became worried. "You're not going to do the same with me, are you?"

"Minato and Aki-nii are my _older_ brothers," Hamuko laughed. "It's my job as a younger sister to keep them on their toes. You'll help me, right? You're my little brother after all."

"Um…" Ken tried not to crack a smile, but failed. "Will that really be alright…?" The child may have had his qualms at first, but at Hamuko's prompting, he took to trying to be less formal with Minato.

To no one's surprise, the blue-haired leader was uncomfortable by Ken's new nickname for him. "Did you seriously just call me 'Yuki-nii', Ken?" he sternly frowned.

"Um… It was Hamuko-san's idea…" the brunet nervously pointed at the snickering girl.

"I told you to be wary of her, didn't I?" Minato sighed as he shook his head. "Well… carry on." Relieved he wasn't in trouble, Ken quickly went about his business but the same couldn't have been said about Hamuko. The SEES leader frowned at his twin. "Why does it feel like I'm everyone's older brother?"

"Because you sort of are," Hamuko smirked at him.

"I wonder if this is how Mamoru feels," the blue-haired boy mused. "But, I guess it's not so bad. I do have a responsibility to protect everyone after all."

It was a responsibility Minato gladly accepted and Mamoru was impressed with how the blue-haired boy always handled himself. Even if the track star didn't attend Gekkoukan, he knew of the famed Hellhound's hectic activities around town. Even more amazing was the fact that Minato never complained about his work. Sure, the introverted junior didn't smile much, but Mamoru never sensed any resentment from him.

"You helped me realize a lot of stuff, y'know?" the tan boy smirked at the Gekkoukan student. "I always blamed school or my family for everything. I didn't want to face the fact that I was responsible… I really lucked out, y'know? If we hadn't met, I'd still be a jerk."

"So you're really moving away for that job?" Minato asked him with a wry smile. "It'll be hard, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Mamoru smirked. "But this is what I decided. I want to support my family, just like you've been supporting me." He took out a car key and offered it to the blue-haired junior. "Hey, Minato. You can have this. It's my father's key. I've been keeping it for good luck. Sometimes I get pretty pissed…" he frowned to himself, "that he's not around anymore. My life wouldn't have had to be so complicated, y'know? I could've enjoyed Track Team more… Could have been a normal kid. But blaming Dad like that, it's just another way to run away from my problems. I want you to keep this. I don't want to risk coming to rely on it again. As long as you have the key, I'll be able to stand on my own feet. So," he looked the blue-haired boy in the eyes, "next time we meet, I can still be proud of myself."

"No more running away, huh?" Minato smirked as he accepted the key. "I think I can understand that. Take care of yourself, okay? You can't help your family if you don't help yourself first."

Mamoru blinked at the boy but smiled as he understood. "Thanks, Minato." They shook hands before the athlete departed. "Later."

Minato saw him off and smiled as he sensed Helel emerge before him. He hadn't seen Hamuko use Helel yet as they were still unable to handle the Persona's power, but the great angel watched over them, awaiting the day they'd be strong enough to wield its strength. That was fine though as Minato still had another Social Link to complete.

After an entire year of going out to eat at the various restaurants Iwatodai had to offer, Minato still wasn't quite familiar with all of the secret dishes and specials scattered throughout the city. He had somehow been taken under the senior Nozomi's wing and the older boy had come to acknowledge Minato as a younger brother. Minato found it odd, but he didn't quite question it as he sensed Nozomi needed someone to look after him.

His worries weren't completely unfounded as he discovered the overweight boy had been roped into a cult-based scam. The situation spiraled out of control when Nozomi tried to recruit others to join the cult, but even though Minato had been completely rejected for trying to help, the younger boy saved the senior from a pair of ruffians threatening to assault him.

Nozomi didn't expect Minato to come to his aid after all he said to him, but the blue-haired boy shrugged it off. "You're the one who took me in as your little brother," the junior sighed. "I had an older brother once, but… I couldn't protect him…" Minato frowned as he thought of Shinjiro. "There's no way I'd let myself fail again…"

"Your brother died too…?" Nozomi frowned at the thin boy. "Hey… L-let's go to Hagakure!" He didn't even wait for the other boy to respond before dragging him to the ramen restaurant. As usual, the older boy ordered for them both, but instead of lecturing Minato about the menu while they ate, Nozomi remained silent. After a while, the older boy finally spoke up. "My younger brother and I were twins, but not the kind that look the same."

"Fraternal?" Minato asked. "Yeah, I have a fraternal twin too…"

"That's right. You have a sister…" Nozomi remembered the junior hanging out with his sister sometimes. "Well, my brother… He was the better looking one." He sighed as he put his chopsticks down. "Everyone compared me to my brother, and I was never able to surpass him. Not at anything. For a while I'd hit him for no reason, but he always treated me like a brother." Minato frowned at that and Nozomi sensed his disapproval. "We did always enjoy eating together…" he fondly remembered. "But, when I was in 8th grade, he got food poisoning. I guess it was undercooked or something… But I couldn't even cry," he shook his head. "I was relieved, because I finally didn't have to measure up. I felt free."

"That's terrible," Minato whispered as he tried to imagine that happening to him and Hamuko.

"Nobody should feel happy when their little brother dies!" Nozomi exclaimed. "I'm such a… I'm a…" He shook his head as he couldn't even acknowledge himself as a brother. "At first, I tried to be like my brother. I went to cram schools and did martial arts and everything… but I was never as good as my brother had been, so I started to feel like people were laughing at me. When I eat, all I need to focus on is the table in front of me… everything else disappears." He frowned at the bowl of ramen in front of him. "See? That's what the Gourmet King is really made of… I only ate to make the voices in my head shut up. But, if I keep going like this… I'll never be anything like my brother, will I?"

Minato lifted his head and steadily stared at the older boy. "Then shouldn't you just be yourself?"

"I guess," Nozomi took a moment to consider it. "So, I should only worry about being myself…?" He seemed surprised at that. "That might be true…" After a few more seconds of thinking about it, he straightened up in his seat. "You're right!" His sudden exclamation surprised Minato as the blue-haired boy was trying to drink his soup. "Of course, Minato! I can never be like my brother! We're two different people!" He laughed as the boy beside him was trying to cough the broth out of his lungs. "How could I miss something so obvious?"

"I don't know. You're you. How can you be anyone else other than you?" Minato asked with a shrug.

"Thank you, Minato… I really owe you," Nozomi smiled at him. He took out a laminated badge and handed it to his friend. "By the way, you can no longer be a follower of the Gourmet King," he proclaimed, "because you're the new king. All hail Gourmet King the 2nd!"

"Really?" The junior stared at the Gourmet License in surprise. "What is this anyways?"

"The restaurants in the strip mall gave that to me because of how often I eat here," the boy proudly stated but he faltered a bit. "I feel like I've been a fake all this time though… But, I will become the true Gourmet King one day!"

"How so?" Minato asked.

"I will become a food critic," Nozomi decided. "It will be my job to eat… And I will master it!" He blushed as he nodded to himself. "Then, once I die and go to the afterlife, I can face my brother… And he'll be impressed by the fact that I was able to master something, all by myself! Hold onto that until I achieve my ultimate destiny, okay?" Minato nodded in understanding, resulting in the older boy smirking at him. "I may have lost my position, but once I educate myself in the ways of the culinary arts, I shall reclaim it! That's my promise to you… and to my little brother."

"Then I'll hold you to it," Minato stated with a smile.

With another set of Social Links done, Minato and Hamuko were caught up to each other in terms of which Arcana they both completed. They were surprised though when a new Arcana for a Social Link appeared through Aigis under a card Minato didn't believe to be in the standard Rider-Waite deck. The Aeon Arcana was different from the others, but it seemed to work in the same way as every other Social Link they had previously encountered. This also marked their 22nd Social Link, a full set of the Major Arcana.

It took a while for it to sink in but the twins slowly came to notice all of the people they had come to meet and befriend in just that one year. Minato couldn't really believe it himself as he never expected such a thing to happen. Hamuko was surprised too, but less so. She was much happier knowing that for the first time, she had made friends she could really connect with. Friends they never wanted to leave behind. When Nyx came, the two would fight for their bonds because they knew they were almost at the end of their journey.

Minato stopped walking as he considered something. "The end of our journey…"

Hamuko turned to him and noticed his pensive expression. "Thinking about your investigation?"

"No," he shook his head as he took a few steps to catch up to her side. "Just remembering a lecture from a long time ago… I think… we're at the Moon?" He knit his eyebrows together. "If we beat Nyx, that would put us at the Sun…"

"What are you talking about?" the brunette frowned at him.

"I'm just thinking of the Arcana," Minato told her. "Also… it's strange, don't you think? We've managed to evoke Personas for every Arcana, even Aeon, but none are under the World Arcana. And there's not a World Social Link either."

"We're probably not strong enough to handle that Arcana," Hamuko shrugged. "Or it might not exist in the first place. Besides, that classification system for Personas is arbitrary, isn't it? Since the Aeon Arcana exists, it probably doesn't strictly follow the Rider-Waite deck. In place of the World, we have Aeon."

"You might be right," Minato crossed his arms. He smirked as he considered their Arcana. "It's hard to imagine that we're still Fools after all that we've gone through. It's even harder to believe that we're Death…"

"We're also Judgment," Hamuko smirked. "It's too bad we don't have Personas to show for that Arcana though."

"Thanatos is enough," her brother stated. "We can't summon him separately after all." He considered the bloodthirsty Persona's arsenal. "Ragnarok, Niflheim, Thunder Reign, Panta Rhei, Die For Me!, Mahamaon, and Morning Star… He's complete overkill, isn't he?"

"He's the embodiment of Death helping us bring Judgment to the Shadows," the brunette laughed. "Of course, he is."

"Still a bit unsettling…" the taller junior pointed out as a shiver went down his spine. "Man… Why couldn't we have gotten some other cool Greek God? Like Zeus," Minato smirked as he thumped his fist on his chest, "the King of the Gods."

"Also known as Jupiter, Juno's husband," Hamuko teased her brother.

"Um… You know they were siblings too, right?" Minato frowned at her.

"I wonder what that says about you, picking a god like that," the brunette smirked at him. "Oh," she suddenly became serious, "speaking of Juno, Fuuka-chan's okay, right?"

"She's fine," Minato nodded. "It was pretty ingenious of her to use her Persona to partially hack past Ikutsuki's firewall, but even I can tell it's a bit too much for her." He ran a hand through his blue hair. "Nearly 170 Personas in our repertoire and I can't use any of them to help her…" The boy worriedly groaned. "I wonder if she's not overdoing it…"

"I think you both are," Hamuko gave her brother a concerned frown. "I mean, you two have been looking pretty tired lately. Between juggling the investigation and Tartarus explorations, I'm surprised _you_ haven't collapsed out of exhaustion."

"We're making you all worry, huh?" Minato sighed. "Sorry… I should probably tell Fuuka to take it easy tonight… But we can't help it if we want to do all that we can right now…"

"Nii-san, your health is more important. We can't fight Nyx without our leader and navigator." The red-eyed girl sternly looked into his eyes. "As co-leader, I'm ordering you both to rest. The investigation can wait until…" she considered the current date. "Well, I guess until Thursday."

"So you're giving us all of tonight and tomorrow," Minato mulled it over as he searched for his keys. "Fair enough… It's not like anything will happen between now and—" As he unlocked the door to the dorm, Junpei jumped up to greet them.

"Oh, there you are," the capped junior smirked. "We're all going to Hagakure. Wanna come?"

Hamuko was about to refuse as she wanted her brother to rest but she heard Minato's stomach growling. She sighed to herself as she should have known better to think Minato could have refused a trip to Hagakure. "Sure," she smirked.

The blue-haired boy eagerly nodded. "Definitely!"

"Wow," Junpei stared at them both oddly, "that was easy." He shook his head before nudging Minato with his elbow. "Anyways, Akihiko-san's buying. You remember that bet we made in Yakushima?" The blue-eyed boy blinked at him. "Oh, you probably forgot all about it by now," Junpei frowned. "Well, you won in the end… even if it was Aigis."

"A bet?" Hamuko looked between both boys. "What bet?"

Minato groaned as he remembered that dreaded day on the beach. "The three of us had a little competition with each other, but I'm not going into details. Technically, you won too even though you didn't even know you were a part of it."

"Well, can't look a gift horse in the mouth," Hamuko smirked at the thought of free food.

"Yup," Junpei smiled at her. "But anyways, Akihiko-san still lost, right?" he asked Minato. "It took me like six months to make him accept that fact…"

"Didn't you lose too?" Minato frowned. "Then again… Akihiko-san was the one worst off that day… and you _did_ already treat me to ramen a few days ago…"

"Now I'm even more curious as to what happened," Hamuko smirked.

Junpei nervously chuckled to himself. "Enough talk," he said as he pushed the twins back out the door after they threw their schoolbags towards the couch. "The entire dorm already left, so we gotta jet!"

"Wait, he's treating _everyone_!?" Minato didn't remember that being a part of the bet. _Oh well… it's a good thing I won then._

The three juniors quickly arrived at the restaurant and noticed their dormmates split between two tables. Akihiko shook his head at the twins. "You're late," he sternly frowned at them.

"Sorry," Hamuko smiled as she sat across from him and Mitsuru. "Thanks for the meal, Aki-nii."

"Did you guys order yet?" Minato asked Fuuka as he joined her at the other table.

"Not yet," she shook her head. "We were waiting for you to arrive."

Yukari flagged the waiter to notify him they were ready. She looked to everyone in their party. "Is the special okay for everyone?"

"Sounds good to me," Minato nodded.

"Yep, order one for me too!" Hamuko brightly smiled.

Mitsuru frowned. "The special? Well, if everyone else is ordering the same thing, I suppose I will go along with it."

"Okay, nine specials, please!" Yukari called out.

Junpei ecstatically shook in his seat. "Man, this is awesome!" He looked up towards the boxer. "Akihiko-san's NEVER treated us all to ramen before."

"Hey," the white-haired senior frowned, "why do I have to treat everyone? My bet was only with Junpei and Minato…"

"Tch, not this again…" Junpei shook his head. "Come on, Akihiko-san, a bet's a bet. Pay up!"

"You need to properly honor your word," Minato pointed out. "Can't set a bad example for Ken now, can you?"

Ken wryly smiled at the boxer. "S-sorry, Sanada-san…"

Akihiko quickly shook his head as Minato's tactics weren't very fair. "Alright, alright! I never said I wouldn't." He noticed Aigis frowning across from him. "What's wrong, Aigis? You doubting me too?"

The blonde robot looked up at him in surprise. "No, but…" She pointed at the counter. "Have you seen the magazine on that counter? There's an article in it that looks highly disturbing…"

"Which magazine?" Yukari glanced towards the direction the robot was pointing in.

Aigis quickly got up and grabbed it for them. "It's this one… 'Emergence of a Messiah: The Charismatic One Speaks'." She handed it over to Akihiko.

"What an interesting title," Mitsuru stated with a frown as the boy beside her flipped through the pages.

"It must be about that doomsday cult," Yukari said, turning around in her seat to look over the white-haired boy's shoulder.

Fuuka worriedly frowned. "They're all over the Internet, too."

Minato sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. _Something tells me Strega's involved..._ He watched as Akihiko slightly tensed up.

"Hey," the boxer lifted his gaze and passed the magazine around, "look at the photo in this! Check out the so-called 'Messiah'…!"

Yukari shook her head in disbelief. "Hey… that's…"

Junpei's eyes widened. "Wh-what the!? I-is that Takaya!?"

Akihiko frowned. "I thought something was up. So, Strega's behind that cult…"

Mitsuru glanced towards Minato and Fuuka. "It seems your suspicions were right, Yuki."

"Tch," Ken scowled. "I've lost my appetite."

Eventually, the magazine made its way back to Aigis and she decided to read the article aloud for them. "Listen to what he says…"

 _"Mankind is currently imprisoned by the sins of hate and anger. But soon, a savior will descend upon this world to break the chains that bind us, and lift us to new heights. This great being is Nyx. I have beheld her glory, and she has blessed me with power beyond belief. In Nyx there is no pain… no suffering…"_

"How the hell does he know about Nyx!?" Junpei asked.

Yukari shook her head. "Wait, he's saying that Nyx will save the world!? That's not true!"

"I don't think he really means what he's saying," Akihiko tried to calm both juniors. "This is all just a game to him."

"That son of a bitch…" Junpei grumbled as he pulled his cap down.

"Aigis," Fuuka looked towards the android. "What else does he say?"

The blonde robot flipped the page to continue. _"But, there are those who do not understand this truth, even though they have also been blessed by her. They have acquired the same power as I; yet they abuse it, using it for their own personal gain."_ Minato let out an audible scoff. _"These miscreants are the ones to blame for the recent tragedies that have been plaguing our streets."_

"Wait," Junpei frowned, "is he talking about us!?"

Yukari shushed him. "Not so loud!"

"Oh, sorry," Junpei looked around the restaurant carefully before lowering his voice. "Hey, what's up with them calling him the 'charismatic one'? How'd he get so popular all of a sudden!?"

Fuuka quickly answered that. "I've seen the screen name Jin online before," she stated, garnering everyone's looks of surprise. "He's very popular, and has a lot of support from his followers. He's a very charismatic figure." The navigator frowned. "I can't believe he's the same Jin as the one from Strega."

"Well, he seems pretty good at stirring up trouble," Akihiko growled.

"Yeah," Yukari nodded. "I bet he orchestrated Takaya's rise to fame… Ugh, those two make me sick…"

"Is there more to the article?" Mitsuru asked. "We need to put together just how much Strega knows about Nyx and what they're feeding to the public. Now is the good time as any to come up with a proper counter against them."

Aigis nodded in understanding. _"Brothers and sisters, I shall go forth to make preparations for Nyx's arrival… But, do not fear those evildoers who desecrate their gifts. Nyx shall right their wrongs. May your hearts be filled with peace as you await your salvation. Blessed are those who take joy in the coming of Nyx. The revolution is here!"_

"Well, if he wants a revolution…" Hamuko made to get up from her seat.

"Hamuko-san, please calm down!" Ken nervously pulled on her sleeve. He flinched when Junpei suddenly stood up too.

"Revolution!?" he cried. "People can't seriously be buying this crap, can they?" He blinked when he noticed he was making a scene. He carefully sat back down and all of SEES waited a moment before resuming their conversation.

Aigis frowned. "Throughout history, those who have changed the future have often been highly charismatic…" She tossed the magazine back towards the counter. "That's the end of the article. It appears after the interview, Jin and Takaya disappeared again."

"Well," Akihiko crossed his arms before looking over towards Fuuka, "there's only one place they could've gone—Tartarus."

"They must've been planning this all along," the navigator shook her head. "And yet… there's nothing we can do about it."

"Takaya's words have changed the mood of the entire city," Aigis stated. "Even though they won't admit it, they are all afraid…"

"Yeah…" Yukari sighed. "I mean, why else would people believe this nonsense Takaya's preaching?"

Akihiko clenched his fists. "I guess people just need something to believe in."

Mitsuru nodded in agreement as he grabbed her own arm. "Not everyone can find the strength to stand up to their fear, especially if it's towards Death. In fact, had we not found our resolve to fight, we would have most likely given into despair much in the same way as the rest of the city."

"Well, no wonder there's a sense of doom in the air…" Junpei sighed. "We're all gonna die."

"But, is that so surprising?" Aigis asked.

Ken frowned. "Don't tell me you agree with Strega, Aigis-san…"

The robot shook her head. "The fact that all life ends one day has nothing to do with Nyx," she explained. "Death is a natural occurrence in the cycle of life. Don't all humans realize this?"

"I guess…" Yukari frowned to herself.

"It's not a matter of realizing it or not, Aigis," Minato shook his head. "It's a bitter fact everyone must face sooner or later."

Hamuko nodded in agreement. "Most people would rather deal with it later," she softly stated. "And it's not like we were given a choice on when we were to face it ourselves."

"To tell you the truth," Junpei sighed, "I never even would've thought about my own death if none of this had happened. But since we've made up our minds," he looked up at the depressed team, "why don't we just leave it at that?" he asked with a smirk. "Our objective is Nyx. If Strega gets in our way, we'll just have to deal with them too."

Akihiko nodded. "I agree. We'll probably run into them at Tartarus anyways…"

"Not anytime soon though," Mitsuru frowned, "given they're beyond our current reach."

"But however you look at it," the boxer looked towards her, "we're the obstacle standing in their way."

"And this time we won't let them succeed," Ken nodded.

"The promised day will soon be here…" Yukari frowned.

"We'll do what we can," Hamuko smirked.

"Yeah, you're right," Akihiko smiled at her.

"Alright," Junpei was in a cheery mood once again, "and if that's the case, then we're gonna need lots of energy! Let's eat!"

Fuuka smiled as their orders were finally ready. "We do need to keep our strengths up."

"Yeah," Minato nodded. "Oh, by the way, Hamuko's banning us from working tonight. The two of us are under strict orders to rest and recover."

"Actually, that goes to the rest of the team too," the brunette frowned. "We've been training nonstop anyways." She quickly finished her first bowl. "Eat up, everyone! Waiter! Another special, please!"

"I'd like an extra large Dan Dan Dan!" Minato raised his hand as soon as he was done. He looked over towards his girlfriend. "Do you want something else too, Fuuka?"

"But I'm not even a quarter of the way done with this bowl!" the girl blinked at him in surprise.

"Excuse me!" Junpei called out. "I'd like to order a Hagakure Bowl!" He nervously chuckled as he turned towards the boxer footing their entire bill. "You don't mind, do you, Akihiko-san?"

Yukari sighed at the three juniors' voracious appetites. "Junpei, don't forget you're having half of Aigis's food too. And you two need to settle down!" she scolded the twins as she noticed Minato trying to steal the egg in her bowl, prompting her to use her chopsticks to strike the leader's hand.

"Oh, don't worry," Junpei laughed. "We're just starving."

"You just better eat it all," Akihiko groaned.

"No worries, Aki-nii," Hamuko smirked as a new bowl was placed before her. "Anything anyone doesn't finish will be polished off by me and nii-san!"

Mitsuru smiled at the hungry brunette. "I can see why you'd order another bowl," the senior nodded. "It's so good that it'd be a shame to not try something else. What would you recommend, Akihiko?"

"Not you too…" the boxer sighed. He noticed Ken was staring at the menu longingly. "Ken… you want another serving?"

The child wore a shy smile. "Well… I am a growing boy…"

"Order up!" Hamuko happily called out. "Another special for the growing boy! Ai-chan, you should get something too!"

The robot nodded before raising her hand. "I would like to try the black garlic tonkotsu ramen."

"Aigis, you don't eat!" Akihiko shook his head as he hoped he saved enough money during Tartarus explorations to pay off the check.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Easy, Thanatos," Minato muttered to himself as he patted his heart. "Just a while longer…"

Hamuko twirled her new naginata, Vel Vel Muruga, out of boredom. After a while, she studied the beautiful rainbow-colored feather adorning the blade of her weapon. "You sure this will work, Minato?"

"Not really, but if Elizabeth and Theo want us to face Death, we'll face Death," Minato wryly smirked.

 _"Be careful, I sense Death!"_ Fuuka warned them.

"Call everyone back towards us now!" Minato told her as he stood up from the foot of the stairs.

"Finally!" Hamuko eagerly started down the hall. "Time to go hunting!"

 _"Please be careful, Minato-kun,"_ Fuuka sighed. _"It's still a very powerful enemy! Don't push yourself too hard…"_

"At the first sign of danger, we'll Trafuri out of the battle. After that, you can Escape Route us out of here," Minato reassured her. "But we'll be fine. We're a lot stronger than we were before." He paused for a moment. "You're okay by yourself down there?"

 _"Of course! You need the entire team for this!"_ Fuuka argued. _"And I'm always connected to you, so it's not like I'm alone either…"_

"Will you two stop flirting?" Hamuko smirked at her brother. "We've got company!"

"Ah shit!" Junpei ran towards them with the Reaper Shadow hot on his trail. "Are we heading up or what!?" he cried as he spotted the stairs further down the hall, past the twins.

"Ready, Hamuko?" Minato prepared his blade.

"As ready as I'll ever be," the brunette's red eyes eagerly gleamed.

Ken caught up to the twins too and frowned. "Wait… Don't tell me we're…!"

"You can't be serious!?" Yukari groaned as she watched the siblings engage the powerful enemy.

"Where's Aki-nii and Ai-chan?" Hamuko asked their navigator.

 _"I'll call for everyone else right away!"_

Mitsuru sighed as she wondered what the two siblings were thinking. "I hope you both have a strategy." She frowned as the Reaper removed her resistance to ice attacks.

The twins wore maniacal smirks as they lifted their Evokers. "Thanatos!" Their Reaper-like Persona roared as it emerged from them. The bloodthirsty God of Death charged into the Shadow before unleashing a powerful electrical blast.

Akihiko slowed down as he noticed the Reaper was immediately knocked down by Koromaru. "Way to hang in there," he smirked as he joined the team for an All-Out Attack.

Aigis sighed in relief as she summoned Athena to raise everyone's defenses. "I've finally caught up with you."

 _"Everyone's all here!"_ Fuuka notified Minato.

"Keep knocking it down!" the blue-haired boy ordered the team. "Don't give it a chance to attack!"

"That's easier said than done," Yukari frowned as the Reaper dodged her arrow. Her brown eyes widened. "It's getting back up!"

"Guards up now!" Hamuko cried as the Reaper unleashed a powerful Megidoloan spell.

 _"Everyone!"_ Fuuka worriedly frowned as the blast nearly wiped them out. _"Minato-kun! Use a Trafuri Gem now!"_

The blue-haired swordsman had managed to remain standing after the attack. He chuckled as he calmly put his Evoker to his head. "You're going to Hell," he smirked at the Reaper.

 _"Hamuko-chan! Get everyone out of there!"_

The brunette didn't seem to hear either as she copied her brother's movements. "To think you'd hunt the masters of Shadows and Tartarus…"

Minato pulled his trigger first. "Satan!"

"Helel!" Hamuko cried.

"Fusion Spell: Armageddon!" Their eyes glowed ecstatically as a bright explosion erupted from the Reaper. Everyone flinched from the amazing power of their resident Wild Cards. When it was all over, they stared at the twins in awed silence.

 _"You two…"_ Fuuka let out a relieved breath as that had been close. At least they were all safe though. _"I can sense your determination, but don't do that again!"_ The navigator sighed as the twins were too busy cheering at their newfound strength to pay attention. _"Are either of you even listening to me?"_

"Did you see us, Fuuka!?" Minato ecstatically yelled into his headset. "We were awesome!" The blue-haired boy jumped into the air and mimicked an explosion. "Armageddon!"

"What a rush!" Hamuko agreed. "Even Thanatos is happy!"

They eagerly turned towards each other. "Let's do that aga—!" the twins paused before falling over, completely drained of their stamina.

"What reckless behavior," Mitsuru frowned at them disapprovingly. She took out her own communicator. "Yamagishi, bring us all back. We're done for tonight."

 _"Of course!"_ Fuuka focused Juno's powers and the team were surrounded by a warm light. The teal-haired girl rushed towards them. "Are you all okay?" she asked as she noticed everyone was gathered around their leaders.

"W-we're fine," Hamuko tried to say with a smile.

"J-just give us a moment to get the feeling back in our limbs," Minato groaned as they lied on the ground. "W-whoo!" he weakly cheered. "Armageddon!"

"We're all returning to the dorm," Akihiko shook his head.

"You are both fatigued," Aigis said in worry.

"But Thanatos hungers for Death!" Hamuko complained.

"Armageddon!" Minato adamantly shouted as he raised his arms above his head.

"Dude, if you yell that one more time, I'm knocking you out and dragging you back myself," Junpei threatened him.

"But what we did was awesome!" the blue-haired junior exclaimed. He wryly smiled when the entire team glared at him. "O-okay… After a quick stop to the Velvet Room, we'll head back home… Hamuko and I need to cash in on the Reaper's Bloody Button." He looked over at his sister. "You cut it off his coat, right?"

"I thought you did…" Hamuko turned her head towards him.

The entire team's faces went pale as their blue-haired leader sat up and shook his head. "Nope…"

"Well, then we'll have to do it once more," the red-eyed brunette got up too. Everyone groaned as they were forced back up Tartarus to try again.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** So the moveset I gave Thanatos might be extremely difficult to prepare... but it's possible! I think... I mean... the moveset he shares with Elizabeth in Arena and Ultimax consists of the Ma-dyne versions of every element, Mamudoon, Mahamaon, and Mediarahan. Hell, even her KO is Megidoloan. If Minato or Hamuko were playable, I'd expect their moveset to be the ultimate elemental spells, Die For Me!, Samsara, and Salvation. Their KO would be Armageddon because... why the hell would it be Great Seal? Despite having the lowest health, Elizabeth is pretty broken in my opinion since her fast attacks easily wipe out the enemy before she can get a scratch. For the twins, I'd say their damage output, health, and defenses are pretty high, but it would be offset by their slower speed. But... I'm not a fighting game expert... so I wouldn't really know how to go about balancing them. After all, I'm only basing this off of personal preferences and experience, like the fact that even though Yu is supposed to be the most basic character to wield, I find it much easier to play as Yosuke because he's faster.


	50. Those Who Face the Future Wearing Masks

**Author's Notes:** So this is a longer chapter than normal. But tomorrow's chapter will be the longest considering it'll cover the Promised Day. Also, thanks to my rambling about Thanatos, I forgot to go over my opinion of the last batch of Social Links. I'm pretty neutral towards Bebe but I'm pretty sure he's in love with both protagonists. I absolutely love Akinari since his Link is so tragic. It should be a crime to have Ken as an option, but is it weird that I think that he's the most romantic boy available in Hamuko's route? It could be that Ken is secretly very cheesy... For Mamoru, I'm also pretty neutral. He complains a lot but so does everyone else and I don't really think Minato did much to help besides listen to him. As for Nozomi... I have yet to meet someone who enjoyed his link... I tried to make him... sympathetic(?) but uh... yeah... When he started going on about Paradise and whatnot, I kinda thought he was a nutjob. The way the schedule worked out, it made sense to finish him this late because it would be like he got swept up in the Nyx cult but Minato saves him.

* * *

~21 JANUARY 2010~

Minato looked up from his notebook when Hamuko set a cleaning cloth on top of his desk. "It's our turn to clean the classroom today," she told him.

"Right," he sighed as he put his investigation notes away. He paused when the classroom door slid open and Mitsuru came in. "Hm? This looks important…"

The twins straightened up as the redhead sternly frowned at them. "I'm sorry to ask so suddenly, but… Can you both come with me?" She looked around and noticed Junpei was also present. The senior quickly averted her gaze from the capped junior. "There's… something we need to discuss," she told the twin leaders.

"Uhh," Junpei spotted Yukari in the back of the classroom, "you want all of us, or just them?"

"Just them for now…" Mitsuru frowned.

Minato and Hamuko shared a look with each other as they sensed the older girl was hiding something from them, but if she was only going to reveal it to the two of them, she must have had a good reason for it. Hamuko nodded as she put the cleaning supplies away. "Alright, we'll go."

"Come with me to the Student Council Room…" Mitsuru nodded, leading them out.

Yukari had been watching for a bit and she quickly approached Junpei's side. "Isn't it… kinda weird that she'd only want to talk to them?"

"Probably some big, important Student Council business," Junpei shrugged. "Ehh…"

"Maybe so, but…" the brunette knew the senior better than that. "Senpai was acting a little weird… She had that look she gets when she's keeping some terrible secret."

"Ahh, you worry too much," Junpei shook his head. "Well, if the high muckety-mucks don't need us," he smirked as he stood up, "might as well go home."

"Hey, wait a second, Junpei," Yukari pulled on his jacket. "According to the seating chart, if they're not here, you have to clean up for them." The archer smirked at him. "Have fun sweeping the hallway!"

"Whaaat!?" Junpei exclaimed. "Where did that rule come from!?" Not wanting to be stuck doing their work for them, he quickly started for the Student Council Room.

* * *

Mitsuru checked the room once more to make sure nobody would overhear their discussion. "There's something you have to know," she began as the twins stared at her curiously. "Do you remember the girl named Chidori, who was with Strega?"

"Of course," Minato frowned. "How could we forget?"

"Did something happen?" Hamuko asked in concern.

"I don't mean to alarm you, but…" the older girl was hesitant but she shook her head to herself as she decided to continue. "The fact is… there's a chance that she may wake up today."

Both twins straightened up and stared at each other in confusion. The older brother shook his head. "W-wait…"

"I know what you're going to say…" Mitsuru carefully calmed him down. "And yes, we did see her die in front of our eyes. However… her body began to undergo Transmogrification a few days after the incident. For the past few weeks, she has been in a state that is neither living nor dead."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Minato frowned at the senior.

"Truthfully," the Empress sighed, "I was hesitant to bring this up. I thought it would cause undue distress if we didn't know whether she would eventually live or die."

"How did this happen…?" Hamuko knit her eyebrows together.

"I don't know," the senior shook her head. "It may be related to her Persona abilities, but that's mere speculation. But what I wanted to talk to you about…" she held her arm, "is your opinion on how to break the news to Iori." The twins' eyes widened. "You see, she probably—" She was interrupted by a phone call. She quickly answered when she saw it was from the hospital. "Mitsuru here." She paused for a moment as the doctor spoke with her. "I see. Yes, I understand." She hung up and looked at the two juniors with a troubled expression. "That was the hospital. They say she's just awakened. It's unbelievable…" she shook her head, "but although we had confirmed her death, it seems Chidori has come back to life—" she paused when she heard the door open behind her.

Junpei stared at her in shock. "D-did I hear that right…?"

"Iori…!?" Mitsuru didn't know how to respond to him.

Hamuko took a step towards her best friend. "Junpei…"

The capped boy took a step back and shook his head. "Chidori is…?" He slowly found himself beginning to hyperventilate. "Huh…? I-is this a joke? Some kinda trick…?" he asked, unable to believe it.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Mitsuru decided it was best to tell him. "No… it's not a joke, or a trick. She is currently recovering in the same hospital as before." Junpei's face slowly lit up. "But… Iori… She probably…"

The boy didn't seem to care about anything else as he looked down the hallway. "Chidori…" He clenched his fists. "Chidori's… alive…?" He quickly took off, passing Yukari in the hall.

"Uh, hey, Junpei!" the archer called out to him, thinking he was ditching his job. "What about your cleanup duty!?" She sighed. "Geez… what's gotten into him?"

Mitsuru chuckled as she stepped out into the hallway. "Hamuko, Minato… Well, I guess it's a moot point now… But… perhaps it's best that he found out this way. I think I'll head to the hospital after this, too. Could I ask you to come along?"

"Of course!" Hamuko nodded.

Minato softly smiled as he played with his headphones. He paused though as he realized a few things. "Senpai… there's more, isn't there?"

Mitsuru frowned as she guessed his concerns. "We'll just have to see once we get there."

* * *

Junpei took a moment to catch his breath as he stood outside the hospital room. He heard rushed footsteps down the hall and lifted his head to see Mitsuru and the twins. The three paused to study him, but the junior noticed Minato and Hamuko giving him encouraging smiles. The tall junior straightened up, grateful that his friends gave him the last push he needed to face Chidori. He slid the door open but immediately tensed up at the sight of the familiar red-haired girl sitting in the hospital bed.

Chidori lifted her head up and gazed at him questioningly. She was thinner than before, but other than that, she seemed completely healthy. She kept her gaze steady on Junpei as he and the others entered.

Mitsuru looked over to her doctor. "How is she?" she asked him as she closed the door behind them.

"Her damaged endocrine system and other internal organs have completely healed," he told her and the twins. "She's still weak… but there's no more danger of her dying in two years."

Junpei brightened up at that news as he took a hesitant step towards the girl. "Is it… really you, Chidori?" He began to shake. "I'm not dreaming… am I…?"

The girl knit her eyebrows together. "Dreaming…?"

Junpei began to cry in relief and happiness. "It's true… It is you… Chidori…" He hurried to her side but paused as the girl continued to stare at him as if he were a stranger.

"Who… are you?" she asked him.

The tall junior frowned at her. "Huh…? What…?"

"I thought as much…" Mitsuru sighed, causing the boy to turn towards her. "Transmogrification is the proof that one lacks 'potential'… I suspected that this might be the case."

Chidori looked over to the doctor in confusion and the man did his best to explain things to her. "This is Mitsuru-san and Junpei-kun. They were your friends last year."

"Friends…?" the girl studied the strange students. They seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite remember who they were. "My name is Chidori Yoshino," she bowed her head to them. "I'm sorry…" she frowned. "It hasn't quite hit me yet, but it seems I don't remember any of the past few years… It's as if… I was dreaming for a very long time."

"Chidori… Yoshino…" Junpei blinked as he never did catch her full name.

The doctor flipped through the girl's medical files. "It seems all of her memories after she awakened to her Persona are gone… She remembers everything that happened before then, but as for you all…" He looked up at Junpei sympathetically.

The boy lowered his gaze and Mitsuru frowned at him. "Iori…"

After a while, Junpei looked up at the older girl with a wry smile. "Nah… I think… It's better for her that she doesn't remember. All that stuff about fighting, and pills… When you're having a nightmare… It ain't a bad thing to wake up."

"I didn't say it was a nightmare," Chidori frowned. "Don't put words in my mouth." Junpei looked up at her in surprise. "It was a dream of meeting a kind warm person at the end of a long tunnel…" The boy's eyes widened. "I can't remember it clearly… But I wanted him to be happy, and I… I think… there were flowers…" A soft smile appeared on her face. "A room filled with them… Ngh…"

"Chidori!" Junpei worriedly reached for her. "Take it easy. You don't have to force yourself to remember."

The doctor paused as he considered something. "Flowers in a room… If she remembers that part clearly, then maybe…"

Mitsuru looked at him questioningly. Minato held out his hand to the doctor and was given the files to look over himself. "Do you have a theory on what happened, doctor?"

"Do you remember when she'd use her power from time to time to make flowers bloom again?" the man asked him. The blue-haired boy frowned but nodded. "She'd always do it for the flowers in her room on the days when Junpei-kun would come. Any flower she touched would be mysteriously preserved… That's why I kept them all, for research purposes. But after the autopsy… I put them all on her chest as a tribute." A smile appeared on the man's face. "And thinking back on it, it may have been that night that she began to Transmogrify…"

"No way…!" Hamuko was surprised a Persona could have been used to save two lives this way.

"The power to share one's life with others…" Mitsuru smiled. "Could it be that she reclaimed the life energy she'd given to those flowers…?"

"Well, I can't prove any of it…" the doctor shook his head. "But compared to how she was before, she's changed. The loss of her power is part of it, but more than that—"

"Excuse me…" Chidori frowned at the man. "Are you talking about me?"

"We were talking about how you want to live now…" the man nodded towards her.

"Huh…?" the girl stared at him oddly. "What do you mean by that? Of course I want to live. I have to find the person in my dream someday…" Everyone seemed to have brightened at that. "I can't lie in this bed forever," she frowned at the white sheets.

"Supposing you do find him and meet him…" Mitsuru carefully watched Junpei, "what then?"

"That's…" Chidori glared at the nosy senior. "That's none of your business."

"Senpai, what have we said about you not agitating the witness?" Minato asked with a chuckle.

"As if you're not the same way," Hamuko elbowed her brother. "But anyways… isn't this great, Junpei?" She looked over at her best friend. "Junpei…?"

"Chidori…" Junpei pulled his cap down over his eyes.

"Two hearts reunited…" Mitsuru crossed her arms and smiled at the romantic notion. "It's a miracle." She shook her head. "No… it's a victory."

The tall junior sobbed at that. "Chidori…"

"H-hey…" Chidori frowned at the strange boy. "Why are you crying?"

"I-I can't help it…" Junpei shook his head as he refused to let anyone see his face. "Th-this… This is seriously the happiest moment in my life…!"

Mitsuru chuckled and looked away. "Small surprise…" She looked over at the twins and noticed them trying their best to not cry. The older girl paused as she heard more sobbing out in the hallway. She opened the door to see Yukari and Fuuka crying too. Mitsuru chuckled to herself as she too had tears in her eyes.

* * *

~25 JANUARY 2010~

Hamuko smirked as she finished her Career Counseling. "Nii-san, Sensei says it's your turn next."

Minato stood up from his desk with a sigh. "Alright," he nodded.

"Just relax," the brunette patted his back. "It won't take long. Just be confident in your answers and you'll be fine."

"Yeah… I'll keep that in mind," her brother nodded. He paused after stepping out into the hall. "What did you decide?" he asked his sister.

Hamuko wagged a finger at him. "This is your decision, remember? You've got to make it yourself, regardless of what I do." She sternly frowned at him. "You'd better not keep Ms. Toriumi waiting…"

"Fine… But I kinda already know what you're doing anyways, Miss Future Doctor." Minato took a deep breath before heading to the Faculty Office.

When he finally arrived, Toriumi nodded to him in greeting before pulling up his files. "Let's begin, shall we?" she kindly smiled at her best student. "I don't have much to say, though," she shook her head. "In the end, it's your decision. Alright, first question… Are you planning on going to college after you graduate, or entering the workforce?"

"I think… I want to go to college," Minato stated with a nod.

Toriumi marked his answer down in his file. "I see. Well, if you've given serious thought to your decision, then I believe that is what you should do." She looked towards Minato and saw the usually composed boy didn't seem quite certain about his answer. "Is something wrong?"

The junior frowned to himself and lowered his gaze. After gathering his thoughts, he knit his eyebrows together and shook his head. "To be honest…" he sighed, "I don't actually know what I want to pursue. I know I want to go to college, but as far as what I plan to study, I'm undecided…"

The woman tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Well, you still have another year until you graduate… It's okay if you still haven't decided. Just don't put it off for too long."

The boy nodded in understanding. "I won't…"

"Now," the teacher sternly looked at him, "it's important to keep in mind that this decision is yours, and yours alone. If someone else makes it for you, you'll regret it later. And then you'll have to live with the consequences, whatever they may be." Minato wryly smirked and nodded to her in understanding as he considered his contract. "But, to be honest, I'm quite confident in you," Toriumi proudly told him. "You've really matured over this last year. I'm sure you're aware of it as well." She looked down at the papers before her as she asked him another question. "What do you think has helped to bring about this change the most?"

"I don't really know…" Minato smirked to himself as there was a lot he wanted to say but he couldn't bring himself to do so. "A lot has happened this year and I wouldn't know where to begin. But I guess…" he lifted his gaze as to stare at his teacher, "it's because I was able to meet people," he said with a genuine smile. "People who became my invaluable friends…"

Toriumi smiled as she sensed the sincerity in his words. "I see. Well, whatever the reason," she nodded to Minato, "you should be proud of the young man you've become."

"Thank you, Sensei," the junior blushed.

The Composition teacher smiled as she knew he'd be fine, no matter what he eventually decided. "That's all for now. I hope you have a successful senior year." She put his papers away and checked her class roster. "Let's see, uh… who's next? Ah, Aigis-san. Would you mind letting her know?" she asked.

"Not at all," Minato stood up. "I'll go get her."

"Thank you," Toriumi smiled at him as he left.

As soon as he was in the hall, Minato noticed his sister waiting for him by the bathrooms. Hamuko smiled at her brother. "So?"

"I've decided to go the college," he nervously laughed, "like you and Fuuka."

"That's what you decided yourself, right?" Hamuko asked him in concern.

"Of course," Minato frowned at her. He lowered his gaze and sighed. "It's just, unlike you and Fuuka, I haven't decided what to pursue…" He quickly cheered himself up by playing with his headphones. "But so long as I have you both at my side, I guess it wouldn't matter in the end," he laughed as his sister smirked at him. "By the way, have you seen Aigis? Toriumi asked me to look for her."

"I haven't seen her since classes ended," Hamuko blinked as they returned to their classroom. She slid their classroom door open and looked around for Aigis but didn't see her anywhere. "Huh… I wonder where she is…"

Minato stared at the partially empty classroom before a thought occurred to him. _When it comes to deciding the future, Aigis must be the one having the most difficulty,_ he sadly smiled. "Come on. I think I have an idea where she's gone."

Hamuko nodded as she quickly followed him up to the roof. Her brother turned out to be right as they saw the blonde robot staring out over the city. She spotted Aigis's troubled expression, prompting her to immediately call out to the android. "Ai-chan? Something troubling you?"

Aigis turned towards them in surprise. "I'm sorry I went off on my own…" she frowned at them. Minato tilted his head to the side in concern, curious about what was on her mind, but she quickly shook her head at him. "It's nothing, really. I just needed some time to think…"

"About the future?" Minato asked with a wry smile.

She nodded. "But not only that… I've been thinking about the past and present as well…" A bit surprised at this, the twins walked over to stand at her side. "When I finally calmed down after New Year's, I realized something… When I fought Ryoji… I got really scared when my consciousness began to fade. But, that wasn't all…" she stared at the siblings with worried blue eyes. "I was also confused and embarrassed when I realized I couldn't defeat him… But, I couldn't defeat him ten years ago either, and I didn't have those feelings then… I…" she lowered her gaze. "I really have changed…"

"That's a good thing," Hamuko smiled at her.

Aigis nodded and smiled back at the brunette. "I've been thinking a lot about this change that's occurred in me," she told them. "You know, in the past if I didn't understand something, I would just ask someone to explain it to me. But since I've decided to 'live'," she frowned, "no one's been able to answer the questions I have been facing… However," the robot wryly smiled at them, "there is one thing I've come to understand," she said, making Minato look up at her in mild surprise. "The reason why I wanted to be close to you was so I could monitor 'Death'… But…"

Minato studied her hesitation as she remained silent. "What is it?" he gently coaxed her to continue.

"Even though 'Death' is gone now, I… I still want to be by your side…" Aigis admitted to them. "I still don't know what it means to 'live' yet," she shook her head. "But, I want to learn the answer. And I think I can, if I'm with you… So, please! Please take me with you!" The robot's eyes shone in determination. "I may not be strong enough… but I'll fight with you to the end!" She looked into their eyes. "Please…"

Minato smiled at her and nodded, "Alright."

"We'll get there together!" the brunette resolutely nodded.

Happy by their answers, Aigis brightly smiled. "Thank you…!" She strongly nodded and clasped Hamuko's hand gratefully.

The blue-haired boy turned around, ready to head back inside. "Aigis, Ms. Toriumi says it's your turn for Career Counseling. You shouldn't keep her waiting."

"I understand," the robot nodded to him.

"Let's go, Ai-chan," Hamuko laughed as she pulled her along behind her.

* * *

"I see nothing…" Den Mother frowned in confusion as she peered into her empty crystal ball.

"Nothing!?" Minato exclaimed in alarm. "D-does that mean I have no future!?" he asked in slight worry.

"No…" the woman shook her head at him. "What I see is nothingness… It is the void…" She noticed Minato's confused frown. "But do not lose heart… Emptiness is not necessarily the end… The void is infinite… As is the universe… Whether this marks an end to all things, or a beginning… It is in your hands…"

"It's like the number zero…" Minato stared at his empty palm. After a while, he managed to crack a smile before standing up to bow to the fortune teller. "Thank you for your time. You've been a great help."

The fortune teller smiled at him as she sensed this was the last time he'd be coming in for a reading. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato nodded before leaving Escapade. _So my future is just like me… Anything can happen…_ He sighed as he recalled the day's date. "We have only a week left… Let's make it count," he smirked to himself as he returned to the dorm.

* * *

~30 JANUARY 2010~

The promised day was drawing ever nearer and the twins finally finished their remaining two Social Links. The first of which belonged to Mitsuru and although she had opened up to the twins, Minato still couldn't help but feel as though the senior purposefully set up a barrier around herself. Hamuko noticed too and with her natural tendency to befriend others and her brother's persistent Hellhound tactics, they had completely managed to change the Empress's views on her position as heiress of the Kirijo Group.

Mitsuru found it difficult to want to take over her father's company and wondered how it was that Hamuko and Minato balanced their sense of responsibility with their own desires. Given their ties to the Kuzunoha clan, she knew they were also shackled by their family but it was always marvelous to see them stretch their binds as thin as they could. It gave the redhead some hope for her own caged life.

One day, the twins were unfortunately introduced to her fiancé and Mitsuru surprised herself by calling off her engagement when the man insulted her dear friends. The future leader of the Kirijo Group had done so without thinking, but his words had infuriated her as he looked down on Hamuko's integrity and Minato's honor. Neither twin spoke against him as they knew their place and didn't need to justify themselves to the snobbish man, but Mitsuru felt the need to set things straight.

Of course, Mitsuru also needed to apologize to the twins for inconveniencing them. She asked them to join her on the rooftop one day and thanked them for everything they had done for her. She also admitted that out of everything to have happened to the team over the course of the year, she had never expected the twins to have grown into such amazing leaders.

Their style of leadership vastly differed from hers, after all. While Mitsuru found it easy to use her chilling authority to get others to do as she willed, the two siblings had a warmth to them that drew others to trust in them. Even if Minato seemed outwardly cold, there was no denying the fiery gaze in his eyes whenever he wished to accomplish a task. That same internal blaze was also in Hamuko as she openly wore her heart on her sleeve. Both twins shone radiantly in that beautifully warm light and it took the Student Council President a long time to figure out what it was about the two juniors that made them so extraordinary. When it came down to it though, the answer was actually relatively simple. Their strength of character stemmed from their unshakable bonds, bonds that gave them the power to believe and trust in others and in turn have others believe and trust in them.

They weren't naïve, idealistic children though. Minato understood the draw of solitude and although she was more outgoing than her brother, Hamuko knew the pain of loneliness. Both juniors didn't seek out others to fill their empty lives. Rather, they sought to expand their horizons by truly making an effort to connect to a world well beyond their own individual limits. As it so happened, their actions also gave Mitsuru the chance to experience their brilliantly expansive universe for herself, forcing her to extend the limits of her own small world. All this was thanks to the twins being able to look at her and see her for who she was as a person, not as an asset.

"Nothing is harder than facing every single person straight in the eye…" Mitsuru smiled at them in admiration. "No one could have served better than you as our leaders."

Hamuko blushed at the praise. "You're pretty amazing yourself, Senpai…"

The red-haired senior shook her head. "Hamuko… You're outwardly adorable. And yet," she studied the brunette, "you have it in you to be stronger, more courageous, and more charismatic than a man…"

"What does gender have to do with this?" Minato crossed his arms and frowned at her.

"Oh…" Mitsuru glanced at him in surprise. "My apologies, Yuki…" The older girl wryly smirked at herself. "It seems in the end… It was I who was most hung up on the concept of femininity… 'Because I am a woman'… 'Despite being a woman'… It was just a way to excuse myself for failing… And if I ever needed an excuse to run away, I would justify those feelings by believing my Kirijo name was restricting me from all the things I've always wanted to do… Watching you both, I realize… I had been a coward. From now on, I will no longer allow my sex or family name to shackle me. I am me. I have things only I can do. And I will accomplish them…" She looked them both in the eyes. "I will never ask you both to run away with me ever again. Instead…" Mitsuru offered her hand out towards them. "Stay by my side. Fight alongside me… live alongside me. Understand?" The twins didn't verbally respond as they smirked at her. Mitsuru managed to crack a smile for them before remembering she had something to give them. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here…"

Minato blinked at the Motorcycle Key she handed to him. "Um… Senpai… Hamuko and I don't have licenses."

"I know," she chuckled, "but I understand you have a penchant for collecting evidence of other people's resolves. This will be proof of my resolve. I'm not going to run from the future anymore." She smiled to herself. "There's no need for me to… I don't have to think of my motorcycle as a means to escape from my feelings. I feel bad that I haven't ridden it in such a long time, though…"

"Are you sure you want to give it to us?" Hamuko smirked, "If you do, you won't be able to ask Aki-nii to accompany you," she teased the older girl.

"You are indeed relentless," Mitsuru sighed. A blush appeared on her face nevertheless as she turned towards Minato for support. "Yuki, tell her I have no interest in Akihiko."

"I'd be lying if I did," Minato frowned. "And I don't lie to my sister. Besides, you're free to do as you wish, Senpai," he reminded her. "It's not our place to tell you how to live."

Hamuko nodded in agreement with her brother. "You're Mitsuru Kirijo after all! Student Council President of Gekkoukan, Captain of the Fencing Team, Leader of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, head of the Kirijo Group, and our senpai!"

"That's right," Mitsuru smiled. "I am Mitsuru Kirijo," she told herself. "I hold my head high when I give that name. Thank you, Hamuko, Minato. You have given me pride."

When the three returned to the dorm that day, Akihiko was the first out of the rest of the team to sense the change within Mitsuru. The boxer crossed his arms as he sternly frowned at the twins. "I heard they ended up ruining your engagement. I know we didn't think much of the guy, but… what about the company?"

Mitsuru reassuringly smiled at him. "The Kirijo Group will be fine. I appreciate your concern, Akihiko." As no one else was in the lounge, she kissed the white-haired boy on the cheek before returning to her room. "Thank you for all of your support during these past three years."

"O-of course…" Akihiko blushed as he watched her go up the stairs. "I'll always be here if you need me," he called out to her with a nod.

The twins sighed as they understood the seniors were too sensible to pursue a relationship with each other under the current circumstances. Still, it was obvious to everyone that the Empress and Emperor were tightly bound by trust and for now, that was good enough. It was their decision to make in the end and the siblings knew better than to directly interfere. Any further action on their part would complicate things more and life was already difficult enough.

At least, that was what Aigis learned from spending time with Minato and Hamuko. The robot was doing her best to embrace her humanity, but despite her efforts, she knew there would always be a rift between herself and the twins she would never be able to overcome. They were mortal after all and Aigis herself could not age or die. Eventually, the twins would leave her alone in the cruel yet beautiful world. When the blonde came to this conclusion, she was filled with a strange mixture of emotions which the twins had come to help her define as bittersweet.

Saddened by such thoughts as they were walking home one day, Hamuko stopped and hugged her left wrist. "We're sorry, Ai-chan…"

Aigis stared at the red-eyed junior in surprise. "There's no need for an apology, Hamuko-san," she frowned. "That's all a part of what it means to live…" She lifted her gaze to study both twins' solemn expressions. "To live means to be connected to other people, but life is finite, and farewells are inevitable. It's sad to consider, but you and I must part one day as well… And then… I'll never be able to see you again…" Sadness filled her blue eyes. "There's so much in life that cannot be understood… It's filled with pain… You meet others, forge relationships, and spend time with them… then they are gone, leaving you behind. Leaving you alone…"

"That doesn't seem very fair though," Minato sighed as he reached up for his headphones.

"No, but that's still how it is," Aigis shook her head at him before gazing at the shimmering ocean waters. "You often watch the sun set from here on Moonlight Bridge but no two viewings are alike. Life is the same in that no two days are alike," she firmly stated. "It is natural for everything to disappear, return and remain in a constant state of change… Life is finite and ephemeral. That is precisely what makes it precious to us, showing us that we shouldn't waste it… It is a miracle for any two like-minded people to meet within the chaotic flux… That's why forging bonds and relationships is a source of happiness. That is the root cause of… the joys of being alive…" The blonde robot gently smiled at them. "It's not a cold, but a warm kind of sorrow… Shining more brightly as a result of its limits… If I think of it that way, there's no time to falter or hesitate."

The twins looked to each other with wry smiles on their faces as what the Aigis said was true. Hamuko brought her arm up to wipe away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "You're really okay with that, Ai-chan?" The red-eyed girl stared into the robot's blue eyes.

Aigis frowned. "I understand that Minato-san has a fear of losing those dear to him while you fear being left alone… But you don't have to worry, Hamuko-san. There's something only I can say, because I am unable to die."

"What is it?" the brunette asked.

"I…" Aigis hesitated a bit as she looked between the twins, "will never leave you. No matter how or when your life comes to an end… At that moment, I will be at your side. You will…" she brought a hand to her red bow, over where her Papillon Heart was stored, "remain in my heart. Even if we part… you will always be with me."

Minato smiled at that. "You love us that much, huh?"

"Yes," the robot nodded. "Even if you cannot return it, I will always love you both with my entire being." She was surprised when Hamuko suddenly hugged her.

The brunette lightly laughed. "We love you too, Ai-chan…" She let the robot go and turned towards her brother.

"Yeah," Minato placed a hand on Aigis's head. "You're a lot like us… so we won't die on you so easily. Please do the same for us… It's because of you we're still alive…"

Aigis blushed as this was the first time the boy had given her such a kind gesture. The robot felt a strange warmth inside her as Minato fondly smiled at her. "I will do my best, Minato-san," she nodded to him. When the boy lifted his hand, she straightened up as she remembered something. "O-oh yes… Umm…" She looked through her schoolbag for a Charred Screw. "Will you accept this?"

Hamuko blinked at the burnt lump of metal Aigis dropped in her palm. "Ai-chan, what's this?"

"It is…" the robot frowned at the bridge they were standing on, "one of the parts that had to be replaced after I collapsed. I asked Mitsuru-san to have it sent to me. I have… changed, since then." She stared at the twins in determination. "I'm not afraid, and I won't give up… I'll get back on my feet as many times as it takes… I'll fight by your side and protect you… This is the proof… I wanted you to hold onto it. It's…" the robot blushed again, "a part of me. If to live means to spend time with people you've forged relationships with… Then… I want my relationship with you to be the strongest of all. My connection to you is my reason for living. The thing that's most precious to me… is to be at your sides."

Both twins nodded to her as they sensed a new Persona appear before them, signifying their completion of their final Social Link. It was hard to believe they had established such powerful bonds with so many people, but they had done it. Their twenty-two Social Links were proof of how much they had grown. The strength they received had been given to them by their precious friends and the twins already knew exactly how to utilize their power as they sensed the Velvet Room calling for them again.

Igor looked up at the twins as he awaited their arrival. "Hm…?" The long-nosed man smiled as he sensed the vast potential within them stir. "Well, well… It seems that you've discovered each of the social links, and formed strong bonds with them all." The twins smirked to each other at that. "In order to have gotten on so well, with so many different people… You must have worn many faces… Perhaps you'll find this useful," Igor waved his hand and a colorless mask appeared in the air, "since you seem to be able to adopt any sort of face… Ciphers like you two…" the mask gently drifted towards them and they both reached out for it together, "should have this." As soon as they touched it, the mask disappeared, storing itself away in their sea of souls until the time came for them to use it. Igor studied the two carefully as he sensed they were filled with questions. "With it," he told them, "you'll be able to summon… those Personas…" he vaguely stated with a smile. "I'm interested to see what kind of Personas result from this… I'll be looking forward to the day they emerge from the seas of your souls."

Minato respectfully bowed to the long-nosed man. "Thanks for all your help so far, Igor," he said with smile.

Hamuko nodded to the man. "Yeah… We wouldn't have made it this far without your assistance."

"You are my guests," Igor bowed his head to them in acknowledgement. "Assisting you both is the reason for my existence. I await your next visit," he waved to them as the twins departed the Velvet Room.

Elizabeth smirked as soon as they were gone. "So… they have reached the limit of their growth…"

"I would not say that," Igor shook his head. "It is true their powers have peaked, but there is still much room for our guests to further themselves. After all, they have yet to awaken to the true power of the Cipher's Mask."

Theodore proudly smiled at his guest's prowess. "Indeed, they are remarkable guests."

"Master, if I may…" Elizabeth frowned at the soft blue carpet. "I would like to test their powers myself. I, too, long for an answer for the purpose of my existence and if they are as powerful as we have come to believe…"

"We are not to interfere with our guests' journeys," Igor sternly reminded her.

"But I am merely suggesting a test of their growth," the golden-eyed girl smirked. "A small push is necessary to see the limits of their powers and no one is more suitable for that task than I," she boasted as she picked up her copy of the Persona Compendium. "Theo," she glanced at her brother and noticed him nervously tense up, "don't you wish to see this 'infinite potential' they seem to possess?"

"I cannot say I am not intrigued," the polite young man replied, "but I do not wish to cause Hamuko any harm…"

"Very well, I shall face them myself!" Elizabeth declared.

"No!" Theodore quickly shook his head as he knew what destruction his sister was quite capable of if left to her own devices. "In that case, I shall assist you!" He frowned to himself. "Please forgive me, Master Minato and Lady Hamuko…"

The two siblings looked towards their master expectantly and Igor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Very well. Fate has brought the guests to the Velvet Room and assigned you both to attend to them. Keep in mind that the Cipher's Mask lays dormant within them and their powers have yet to fully settle. I suggest you both be careful, with yourselves and our guests."

"Very well," Theodore bowed.

"Oh, I'm trembling in anticipation!" Elizabeth eagerly tittered.

* * *

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka smiled at the twins as they returned.

"We stopped by Shinshoudou to pick up the new cannon we ordered," Hamuko smirked. "You'll help nii-san install it onto Ai-chan later, right?"

"By 'later', don't you mean tomorrow?" Minato frowned at her as he set the box on the counter. He let out a sigh of relief as all of their errands were complete. "Well, with that, I think we're ready for Nyx. Fuuka, let everyone know to rest up all of tonight and tomorrow. I want us in our best condition."

"Alright," the teal-haired girl smiled at him. "But I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. You both have gotten so strong!"

"You shouldn't be saying things like that to nii-san," Hamuko shook her head. "He might get a big head again."

"Not this time," Minato crossed his arms. "We can't underestimate Nyx. She's supposedly undefeatable after all." He was about to take a seat when his phone rang. The blue-haired boy pulled it out and frowned as it was text. "Huh? But we were just there to visit earlier…"

Hamuko blinked as she also received a message. "Is it from them?" she asked her brother. Her eyes widened at the contents Theodore sent her. "This looks important," she frowned as she looked out the window, "but tomorrow is the final fight…"

"Well, they want us to go alone," Minato shrugged, "so everyone else can stay put."

Fuuka studied their serious frowns. "Is something wrong?"

The brunette studied her brother's face and noticed he was on the fence about asking Fuuka to go with them. "We need her too," she reminded him. Fuuka turned to her questioningly and the red-eyed girl put on a wry smile. "So I know we said the team's spending tonight resting but…"

Minato sighed. "Something came up so we're wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to Tartarus with us tonight… It'll just be us three though."

"What will you both be doing?" Fuuka asked.

"Going through Monad," he simply responded as he stared at the words 'ultimate opponents' on his screen. "Something's waiting for us there."

* * *

Hamuko took a deep breath as she stared up the final staircase leading to their ultimate opponents. She checked her equipment once more before turning to her brother. "So what do you think is up there?"

Minato frowned as he swung his Lucifer's Blade a few times. "No idea, but if it's stronger than the Reaper, we'd better be prepared."

The twins nodded to each other as they ascended to the top floor of Monad. To their surprise, Elizabeth and Theodore were patiently awaiting them. The older sister giggled as the twins approached them. "We've been waiting for you."

"Elizabeth…" Minato gulped as he didn't know what to make of the situation.

"Theo?" Hamuko stared at her attendant in confusion.

Theodore smirked as he bowed his head to the brunette. "You needn't look so perplexed," he told her. "You came at our behest, to defeat the foes we suggested you would find."

"The adversaries we asked you to defeat are now standing before you," Elizabeth brightly beamed as Minato's blue eyes narrowed on her. "Yes… We are referring to ourselves."

"And here we are," Theodore nodded. "I'm sure you understand by now," he said as he noticed the hesitation on Hamuko's face.

"Can we at least understand why we need to fight you?" Hamuko asked them.

"As I believe I have mentioned before…" the white-haired boy frowned, "we represent power in its purest form. As such, we may only reach our answers when we encounter one whose power surpasses us."

"Answers?" the red-eyed girl still didn't understand.

"The truth of our existence," Elizabeth explained as she prepared her Persona Compendium for battle. "We have long sought an understanding of who we are… Just as you and my master have done," she nodded to the twins. "Those who set foot in the Velvet Room are all destined to embark on this search for identity."

Theodore lifted up his own copy of the Persona Compendium. "You may be able to give us the answers we crave."

Both Velvet Room residents stared into the eyes of their respective guests. "Will you do me the honor of fighting me?"

Minato tightened his grip around the hilt of his blade. "Yes," he nodded to Elizabeth.

The golden-eyed girl smirked at him as she placed her hand on her book's cover. "You have my thanks."

Hamuko got into her battle stance, pointing the blade of her naginata towards the ground. "Of course!" she replied to Theodore.

"Most kind of you," the elevator attendant politely bowed.

"Now…" the Velvet Room siblings flipped open their compendiums, "shall we begin?"

Minato slightly flinched as both adversaries exuded a powerful aura. It was more massive than he had first thought, but he supposed Elizabeth hadn't been exaggerating when she had told him she would be his ultimate opponent. He automatically brought a hand to his headset, a habit he had at the start of every battle.

"Fuuka, you getting this?" he shakily asked.

 _"Who are those two…?"_ the navigator asked as she began scanning the strange beings standing before the twins.

"They're very good friends of ours, but… it would take too long to explain," Hamuko smirked.

 _"Ummm… Is it just me, or does it seem like they want to fight…?"_

"They challenged us and we accepted," Minato told her. "Now, what can you tell us about them?"

 _"Give me a second,"_ Fuuka frowned. Her eyes widened as Juno's readings were higher than anything she's ever encountered before. The power of just one of the two beings completely eclipsed that of the Reaper Shadow's and Fuuka frowned as she knew the twins would have to face both opponents at once. _"What!? Their power is unbelievable! Who ARE they!?"_

Elizabeth eagerly answered the curious navigator. "I make my living as an elevator attendant, but… I know several effective ways of inflicting pain. I must request that you, spectator of our glorious battle, refrain from interfering from this point on."

 _"What!?"_ Fuuka shook her head at that. _"B-but…!"_

"The consequences shall be dire if you intend to rely on a strength that is not your own," the Velvet Room resident warned the twins and their navigator.

"Tch…" Minato sensed she wasn't kidding as he took off his headset. "Sorry, Fuuka…"

Hamuko frowned as she did the same. "We'll explain everything to you later, Fuuka-chan. For now, let us handle this."

The twins prepared themselves before Minato quickly made his first move. "We'll end this quick!" he declared as he slashed his sword towards Elizabeth.

"Don't worry," the girl said as she accepted his attack, "I'm not as fragile as I look. Try to kill me… if you can." A card appeared before her and she crushed it, resulting in Surt appearing.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko watched as her brother dodged the powerful Persona's flaming sword.

Theodore shook his head at the brunette. "Pardon me, but I am your opponent." A card appeared before him as he prepared his first attack. "I am he who governs power…" His gold eyes gleamed. "I should pose a challenge, even for you. I advise that you do not hold back. Fight as though you intend to kill." He quickly grabbed the floating Persona card and held it up, summoning Uriel. "Can you endure this?"

The brunette jumped back from the flames erupting towards her. When she found an opening, she charged forward and slashed at Theodore with her weapon. He didn't seem too bothered by her attack though as he summoned Gabriel. Nearby, she could hear Jack Frost's laughter as Elizabeth used the Persona to freeze her brother in place.

The twins hectically dodged the cycle of elemental spells until they were backed against each other. "So what should we do?" Hamuko nervously smirked.

"Counter whenever you can and don't drop your guard!" Minato cried out, slightly out of breath from all of his evading. "It looks like they're both open now though… Boost us up, will you?"

"Mind Charge!" Hamuko quickly called for Helel.

"Lucifer!" The blue-haired boy cast Megidoloan, but it didn't seem to deter either of the Velvet Room residents. Gritting his teeth together, he pushed Hamuko away from him as Elizabeth charged at him for a slash attack. Minato quickly brought his sword up to parry her blow.

Theodore mercilessly called out another Persona. "Beelzebub!"

"Masakado!" Elizabeth cheerfully shouted aloud.

Predicting their next attack, Hamuko quickly brought her Evoker up to her head and fired. "Vishnu!"

Minato did the same thing to prepare for the onslaught of Megidoloan spells. "Ananta!"

"Fusion Spell: Infinity!" They sighed in relief as the invincible barrier took all four blasts. Minato quickly took advantage of the brief recess and threw a Bead towards his sister before using one himself.

"Magnificent!" Elizabeth remarked as Minato countered another of her attacks. "Your power is every bit as impressive as I'd hoped… But, the curtain has just risen… Show me your best performance!"

Minato rolled out of the way of Thor's Maziodyne. "If that's what you want, then take this!" Lucifer's Blade glowed as he brought it down against his opponent. Elizabeth smirked as she blocked his strike with her Persona Compendium.

Hamuko evaded Theodore's high kick and slashed at his suit with her Vel Vel Muruga. "Come on, Theo. I can do this all night!" she boldly bluffed.

The white-haired boy chuckled at her words as he took a moment to recover from her attack. "The story has reached its climax…" He straightened himself out and smiled at her. "I regret… that this moment must end." He called for Raphael's power and cast Magarudyne.

Hamuko winced as the gales hit her, but she did her best to shake it off. "Mind Charging again, Minato!"

"Metatron!" Elizabeth cast Mahamaon and watched as the swordsman faced it head-on.

Minato sighed in relief as a Homunculus took the mortal blow for him. "Megidoloan!" He scowled as once again the elevator attendants brushed the spell aside. The junior quickly lifted up his blade as Elizabeth rushed towards him to strike him.

"Marvelous…" Elizabeth took a step back as the boy pulled off another successful counter. "You wielded such power…" She smirked as she prepared another attack. "The performance is on the way, we should give you something to remember!" Minato flinched back as Alice appeared to cast Mamudoon. "Theo!" Elizabeth called out for her brother to end things with another onslaught of their most powerful almighty spell. "Your fate is in the cards!" Elizabeth smiled as Masakado appeared behind her.

"My apologies for this!" Theodore respectfully bowed his head to the twins.

The bright explosion blinded Hamuko and she felt the blast throw her brother into her. The brunette weakly pushed Minato off of her and tried to get up but found it difficult to move. Her limbs were heavy and she didn't know whether it was because of the pain or exhaustion. "T-thank goodness for Enduring Soul," she wryly smirked.

"Y-yeah…" The blue-haired junior got to his hands and knees as he coughed his lungs out. "D-damn… you okay?"

Hamuko shook her head at him as she helped pick him up. "I think… we're at our limit…" She lifted her gaze and noticed the attendants approaching them to signify the end of the battle. The brunette let out a shaky laugh as she elbowed her brother. "L-let's do _that_." He looked back at her with the same crazy smirk she wore and nodded. The red-eyed girl took in a deep breath before using the last of her strength to lift her Evoker up to her head. "Satan!"

"Helel!" Minato clenched his eyes shut as he pulled his trigger too.

"Fusion Spell: Armageddon!" they desperately called out.

The four fighters fell to the ground but after a few minutes of letting the results of the battle sink in, the twins finally found enough strength to get back up. Hamuko smiled as she limped towards Theodore, offering out her hand to her loyal attendant. "That was some battle… Let's not do that again, Theo," the brunette said with a laugh.

Minato nodded in agreement as he pulled Elizabeth up. "You really were the ultimate opponent…" He winced as his entire body screamed in pain. "And… I think I'm going to remember your parting gift for a long time…" He groaned as he wanted to collapse. Elizabeth lowered her gaze and frowned to herself. The blue-haired boy looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"We…" the gold-eyed girl looked between the powerful twins. "We believed that we would find our answers when we challenged one who was stronger than us…"

"Or so we had long thought," Theodore sighed. "But despite our loss, I hear no faint epiphany whispered in my ear…"

"And I have received no such revelation…" Elizabeth nodded. She paused before staring up at Minato in confusion. "Wait… I am mistaken…"

Theodore frowned before looking up at Hamuko. "What is this emotion that wells up within me…?" He chuckled at his guest. "It's as if the core of my being is filled with satisfaction… Could this be… my answer…?" he asked the brunette.

The twins looked to each other with a shrug. Minato crossed his arms as he studied at the two Velvet Room attendants. "And what answers have you found?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "The answer is this: Only I can decide who I am."

Theodore nodded in agreement. "Only I can answer the question of my true self…" He wore a worried frown. "Is this, then, the first step towards finding that answer?"

"I'm sure it is," Hamuko nodded to him.

The golden-eyed siblings looked to each other in mild surprise before smiling at their guests. Elizabeth nodded approvingly at the power Minato displayed. "Now, I believe congratulations are in order… You have overcome the most difficult obstacle we've placed in your path."

"Yes, well done," Theodore warmly took Hamuko's hand. "You are indeed wonderful guests. We will dole out your reward in the usual fashion." He paused as he opened up his Persona Compendium. "Oh, and… please take this. It's not a reward, only… a sign of my gratitude."

Hamuko accepted the Fragrant Bookmark with a soft smile. "Thanks, Theo…"

Elizabeth did the same for Minato as she pulled out a Platinum Bookmark from her Persona Compendium. "Thank you for the wonderful time," she told her blue-haired guest. "Now, please make your way to the entrance. I have some thinking to do. I shall see you again in the Velvet Room."

Theodore bowed to his red-eyed guest. "Well then, may we meet again in that room… Mind how you go on the way back." The twins smiled at their attendants before returning to the lobby of Tartarus. When they were gone, Theodore quickly turned to face his sister. "Their powers have indeed grown, but it seems as though the Cipher's Mask within them is incomplete…"

"This must be the growth our Master was referring to," Elizabeth frowned. "No matter," she shrugged, "I'm sure they will uncover its power on their own. I wonder… whose face will the mask reflect?" she smirked as the twins' psyches had grown interchangeable.

* * *

When they finally got back to the dorm, Minato placed a hand over his stomach and frowned. "I'm a bit hungry… Do either of you want anything before turning in for the night?"

Fuuka wryly smiled. "Sure. Do you need help?"

"I think I've got it, Fuuka," he nodded. "Hamuko, you in?"

"Thanks but I'm going to bed," the brunette yawned. "Good night," she smiled at the couple. "Don't stay up too late now," she winked at her brother.

"Very funny," Minato plainly stared at her before heading towards the kitchen. He gently smiled at his girlfriend. "Just give me a moment to whip something up."

"Alright," the teal-haired girl nodded as she sat at the counter to watch him work. She wasn't quite paying attention though as she thought back to their previous battle. _I was completely useless…_ she sadly thought to herself. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the powerful beings the twins faced. _And even if I had done anything to help… that Elizabeth woman would have just summoned Pixie to heal herself and attack them!_

Being forced out of this battle reminded Fuuka of the limits of her abilities as well as raised important questions about the upcoming final battle. If the opponents tonight were this powerful, how would Nyx compare? What if Nyx somehow jammed her connection to the team? Would she be able to continue to support SEES as before? Battle analysis was her sole responsibility and if she couldn't do that, then what good was she?

 _They didn't even need me tonight…_ Fuuka frowned to herself. _I want to fight too, but wouldn't I only get in the way tomorrow? While everyone else climbs Tartarus, I'll be the only person waiting at the bottom…_ She glanced up towards Minato and noticed his back was turned towards her as he quickly whisked three eggs in a bowl with a pair of chopsticks. He seemed completely fixated on his task and Fuuka continued to stare at his back in admiration. _All I ever do is watch him from behind… I don't think I'll ever be able to stand by him like the others… But what I want most is to always be at his side…_

Minato felt her gaze and cast a glance over his shoulder, smirking at her. He blinked though as she didn't seem to notice. She blankly stared through him and the blue-haired boy turned back towards the stove, carefully drizzling the beaten eggs over the beef and onions. "Fuuka…" he called out to her. "Are you alright?"

The girl quickly sat up, surprised by his question. "Y-yes! I'm fine!" She tried to smile at him as he scooped out two bowls of rice for them. Minato sternly studied her expression and the girl faltered a bit. She lowered her gaze in shame for lying to him. "N-no…"

The blue-haired boy carefully plated the beef bowl and set it before her before taking a seat at her side. "I'm here if you need me," he reminded her as he held out a pair of chopsticks to her.

She accepted them from him and nodded her head in understand. "I-I know, Minato-kun, but I'll be fine." Minato tilted his head to the side as he continued to stare at her in concern but he didn't press her. Knowing he was waiting for her to start eating first, she quickly picked up her bowl. "A-anyway! Let's eat! Itadakimasu…" They ate in silence but while that wasn't uncommon for the two of them, Fuuka noticed the boy was eating at a much slower pace than usual. The girl sighed and put her chopsticks down as she realized he was probably thinking about how best to speak to her without upsetting her. To save him the trouble, she turned towards him and decided to just tell him. "Minato-kun…?"

He blinked at her in surprise but patiently nodded. "Yes, Fuuka?"

"During the battle tonight, what were your thoughts when I was asked to not interfere?"

Minato frowned to himself. "I was a bit apprehensive at first, but then I remembered you were still watching me… I know I don't ever want to fail if you're watching."

"But I don't want to just watch you fight," Fuuka frowned at him. "I want to protect you too." She shivered as she remembered how she had been forced to do nothing. "That was probably the most terrified I had ever been…" she softly muttered. "You and Hamuko-chan were in terrible danger yet I couldn't do a single thing… What if that happens tomorrow?"

"It won't," Minato shook his head. "The entire team will be together tomorrow and I know you'll protect us."

"I can't…"

"You can," he firmly stated. "You are our navigator and I believe in you. If we get into a bind, you also have Oracle and Escape Route."

"I don't know if I'll be of any help tomorrow," Fuuka shook her head. "Oracle is only usable once a day and there's a chance it will backfire. It would be too risky to rely on it against Nyx. And since you're all going to be climbing to the top of Tartarus to face Nyx, there should be no reason for me to use Escape Route to bring you back." She clenched her fists. "The only thing I can do will be to support you all from Tartarus's lobby while you'll all be fighting at its peak. And if something happened where I couldn't contact you…" she faltered. "The distance between us is just too great…"

Minato pensively studied her pained frown. "Then come with us," he simply suggested.

The teal-haired girl looked at him in surprise. "What…?"

"Climb Tartarus with us," he stated with a nod. "If you're concerned with being left behind, then come after us with your own strength." He stared into her brown eyes. "The strength I know you have…"

"I'd only get in the way of your battles…" Fuuka shook her head. "If I'm there, you'd be too distracted trying to protect me to fully utilize your abilities." She found it a bit difficult but she managed to break away from his intense gaze. "I can't risk being a burden to you… especially tomorrow…"

Minato lowered his head until his bangs fell over his eyes. "But I want you there at my side," he quietly told her making her pause. After a few seconds of silence, Minato slowly reached up for his headphones. "Fuuka, do you know what's the most important thing I'll be fighting for tomorrow?" She shook her head before nervously looking up to him. "I intend to fight to preserve the bonds I've developed this year."

"Bonds?"

Minato nodded before explaining it to her. "When I first moved here, I didn't expect to meet so many people. Even more surprising was the fact that I was able to get close to anyone at all…" A small frown appeared on his face. "I'm… not that strong of a person to actively reach out to others… I've always believed that I was best off on my own but when I gained the power to summon Orpheus, I had been told that my powers would be developed alongside my emotional ties to others. Initially, I didn't understand because it just sounded as though I was just using others as a means to make myself stronger…" Minato slowly lifted his gaze and stared at Fuuka. "But then I met someone I genuinely became interested in…"

"Really?" the girl curiously looked up at him. The blue-haired boy nodded in response. "Who was it?"

"Hm…" the boy averted his gaze. "It's kind of an embarrassing story considering it took me a while to get this person's name… I kept forgetting to ask even though I had been given multiple opportunities to do so…" He smiled to himself. "But I guess it didn't really matter because even though I didn't know who they were, I loved talking with them." His blue eyes shone in happiness as he spoke. "I didn't have to worry about using this person because they weren't a Social Link. This person was also the first friend I actively reached out to of my own accord." His smile slowly faded as he let out a heavy sigh. "So imagine my surprise when I thought I killed her after she disappeared into Tartarus for ten days…"

Fuuka's eyes widened. "Wait… You're talking about…"

Minato shook his head and let out a light laugh. "Of course I'm talking about you. You're the first person I actively managed to befriend with my own strength." A serious expression washed over his face. "Even more, you're the first person to wholly accept me." He gingerly reached a hand towards her locket and opened it. "Even when I did finally begin my Social Link with you, I wasn't worried because I knew our friendship was real. For it to develop into something more… well…" he softly smiled at the small picture stored in the charm, "let's just say that the bond between us is my most precious out of all of the ones I've formed this year." He gently snapped the locket shut and stared into the girl's brown eyes. "That's why… I want you to be there at my side tomorrow… The two of us are always connected and it's thanks to you and Juno that I know I'm truly connected to everyone else too."

The teal-haired navigator lost herself in his warm blue eyes. The way they glowed reflected his resolute belief in her and Fuuka knew she couldn't deny his earnest request. "Alright, Minato-kun," she nodded. "I'll do my best as always tomorrow, but this time, I'll be right at your side."

"And if you're in danger, it'll be just like when we were on Moonlight Bridge against Strega," Minato reassured her. "I won't let you get in harm's way."

"Well, if Lucia can handle a barrage of Orpheus's fire spells like during the fight against the Lovers Shadow," Fuuka considered, "I'm sure Juno's barrier is a lot more powerful."

"Wait… That happened while I was Charmed?" Minato frowned. "Y-you weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, but you were," she reminded him. "You burned yourself…"

"Oh yeah…" he scowled at the memory. "Can we not bring that operation up ever again? I hate the Lovers Shadow so, so much."

"But we're lovers now," Fuuka giggled.

"You've been spending too much time with my sister, haven't you?" Minato chuckled as he turned back towards his late-night dinner. "Well… because it's you, I don't mind. So long as I get to be spoiled by you, I won't ever mind…" He watched as she picked up her chopsticks again and resumed eating. "Hey, Fuuka?" She looked up at him. "Will you please stay with me tonight?"

"Of course," she nodded with a blush. "Minato-kun?" The boy nodded to her. "Thank you… for always giving me courage. I love you…" her face burned up and she looked away from him out of embarrassment, "my 'harbor of courage'…"

Minato didn't say anything but Fuuka could feel him smiling at her. He didn't need words to tell her how he felt because everything she needed to know were written in his glowing blue eyes. Just his presence alone was enough to bring her comfort. He held an important place in her heart and Fuuka knew that no matter how many masks he'd wear, he would always still be the same Minato she loved. Nothing would ever change that.

Still, she had to pause as Juno felt something inside the boy resonating. As quickly as it appeared though, the strange signal disappeared. The teal-haired girl smiled to herself as she sensed that whatever power it was, it would probably manifest itself tomorrow. Until then, she would faithfully be at Minato's side, ready to support him as they fought for their future.

* * *

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

The entire dorm made their way to Naganaki Shrine and quickly dispersed throughout the park. Although they were all high school students, with the exception of Ken and Koromaru, they found themselves playing on the jungle gym and slide.

Aigis smiled as she played with Koromaru. "Paw," she told the dog. Koromaru barked before holding out his paw to her. "Hm… 'Paw' is the command given to ask the dog to put his paw out, then?" Koromaru barked and nodded. "I see," the robot stated in fascination.

Yukari blinked at Mitsuru as they both sat at the top of the jungle gym. "Huh? Clothes shopping… with me?"

The older girl quickly shushed the archer. "Not so loud."

"Ooh, that sounds great," Yukari smiled. "Let's go together next time, Mitsuru-senpai."

Within the jungle gym, Fuuka frowned as she got herself stuck inside the maze-like structure. Junpei smirked as he tried to give her directions on how to get out. "Go right, Fuuka. Run around the right."

"O-okay… Huh?" Fuuka frowned as she noticed she was going in circles.

"That's left…!" The capped boy blinked a few times. "Oh, I meant my right." He frowned as an idea came to him. "Um… Why don't you just climb the jungle gym?"

Hamuko laughed as she stood at her best friend's side. "Because Minato got stuck trying to rescue her," she pointed at the tangled mess dangling upside down above Fuuka. "I told you not to panic, nii-san," the brunette continued to snicker.

"Sh-shut up!" Minato glared at her.

"Do you need help, Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked with a small smile.

The blue-haired boy felt his face go red. "Y-yes…" Fuuka tried to reach up for him to pull him down but they flinched as Hamuko captured a picture of the moment, blinding him with the flash. "My eyes!" Minato yelped as he toppled to the ground.

"Minato-kun!?" Fuuka worriedly knelt at his side.

"That's a keeper!" Hamuko smirked as she took another photo. "Whoo!"

"Dude, take it easy. You just almost killed your brother," Junpei frowned at her.

By the slide, Ken adamantly shook his head at what Akihiko was daring him to do. "What?" the young child frowned. "I'm not going to go down the slide head-first. My clothes'll get all dirty…"

Akihiko crossed his arms. "When I was your age, we used to have competitions to see who could slide down in the funniest way."

"Like how…?" Ken asked. His brown eyes widened as the older boy began undressing. "N-no, Akihiko-san, please don't take your shirt off…!" Ken flinched as another flash of light illuminated the playground.

"Another keeper," Hamuko smirked. "I wonder how much I can sell it for at school. I'm sure your fan club will pay good money for a shot like this, Aki-nii."

Akihiko's face went red. "Hey! Give me that camera!" The boxer quickly went after the tricky brunette.

"I swear if you break my camera, Hamuko, I'm murdering Pyro Shinji!" Minato roared from his confines. He smiled though as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Promised Day was near and they wanted to make the most out their remaining time together.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** Whoo! All Social Links complete! I feel like Mitsuru is the most romantic option for Minato. Hell, even her ending line is sweet... "Come what may, we'll always be together..." And not to mention her Chrismtas Eve line of "Whenever I'm with you, I wish the wristwatch had never been invented"... And Aigis... her Max Rank scene makes me slightly uncomfortable but it's still very sweet. Actually playing a max Social Link run in FES, I can totally see Minato with everyone except Yukari and Yuko. I mean... I don't dislike Yukari, but she really does make a better friend than lover in my eyes... And even if I don't see her as Minato's lover, I still totally understand her perspective in Answer... I just need to hurry up and finish her door and then Aigis's... and then have everything fall to shit... As for Yuko, I'm still under the impression she's dating Kaz. As for the automatic Links, Fool was basic plot although I thought some of the times it ranked up was pretty random... I love Pharos... He's adorable... And that carries over to Ryoji... sort of... I feel Judgement was better executed in Persona 3 than in Persona 4. It was something I actively had to work for here while in 4, the plot just condensed it and handed it to you on a silver platter... And although they're not Social Links, there's Elizabeth and Theo. I love them a lot... And fun fact, both voice actors are married to their respective guests' voice actors. I still might just prefer Theo over his sister though just because of Travis Willingham's voice...


	51. SEES's Messiahs

**Author's Notes:** Here it is. The Promised Day. The final Operation... Oh, and happy Thanksgiving. Seems fitting to post this today. Gotta give our favorite Messiahs thanks, you know...

* * *

~31 JANUARY 2010~

Everybody gathered in the dormitory command room for the last time. Mitsuru sighed as the entire team wore the same solemn look on their faces. "Alright…" she said, standing up. "This will probably be the last time we meet like this. Is everyone ready?"

"U-um," Yukari frowned, "can I say something?" Mitsuru nodded to her as the archer stood from her seat. "I know that we have to defeat Nyx… But if you think about it, that means we'll be getting rid of the Dark Hour… Ryoji-kun said before that if he dies, our memories will disappear too… So if we defeat Nyx… we might not remember any of this."

"Our memories…" Fuuka worriedly frowned.

"True…" Mitsuru nodded, "our memories regarding the Dark Hour and our Personas… They… may disappear." She saw Akihiko looking towards her with sad worry in his eyes.

"But, even if that happens…" Yukari shook her head, "I want you all to know, I won't forget you!" She clenched her fists and smiled at her friends. "Even if it robs us of all our memories together… I will still remember you all!"

Junpei laughed at the brunette. "We know you will, Yuka-tan!"

"No need to worry about that!" Hamuko brightly exclaimed.

"On these headphones, I absolutely refuse to forget," Minato firmly nodded.

"I won't forget you, either!" Fuuka cried.

"Neither will I!" Ken smirked.

"I will not forget you, Yukari-san," Aigis stated with determination.

"Don't worry," Mitsuru smiled at the archer, "even if you do forget about us, I'll remind you."

"Yeah," Akihiko chuckled, "so don't worry about it."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that…" Yukari sighed in relief.

"Okay!" Junpei jumped up. "Then, after the battle, no matter what happens, let's promise to meet each other again!"

"Good idea!" Ken brightened at the suggestion. "But, where should we meet?"

"I don't think it should be the dorm…" Fuuka shook her head. "We'll come back here anyways if all goes well…" She blinked as something else came to mind. "Hey, shouldn't we also decide on when we'll meet?"

"Yeah," Akihiko nodded, "it should be a special day…"

"What about Graduation Day?" Yukari suggested. "When the Dark Hour vanishes, our memories might not disappear right away. So we shouldn't plan to meet too soon after the battle. And there's no day that will have more significance to us all."

"Wow…" Ken stared at the brunette. "You're really smart, Yukari-san! Graduation Day…!" He nodded in agreement. "Yes, that will be easy to remember."

"Yeah, that's probably our best bet…" Junpei smirked. "Graduation Day it is!" He scratched his head nervously. "Now, where should we meet?"

"It should be somewhere where it's easy to recognize that peace has returned to the city," Mitsuru considered.

"Someplace with a good view, then?" Ken blinked. "Um…"

Fuuka immediately came up with a suggestion. "Oh, how about the school's roof?"

"Ooh, good idea!" Junpei nodded. "Alright, the roof it is!"

"And when we meet again…" Mitsuru proudly smiled, "we should remember how we're feeling right now… That no matter what may happen, we will never look back…"

"I agree," Yukari nodded.

Koromaru impatiently barked, causing Mitsuru to laugh. "Sorry," she told the loyal dog, "but you'll just have to wait! Alright then, let's get going."

"Let's go, everyone!" Hamuko raised her naginata up.

Minato lifted his blade and rested it on his shoulder. "Let's do this like always," he nodded to their team.

"Yeah…" Yukari smiled.

"Together," Fuuka nodded as she stood up.

"I will do my best," Aigis saluted their leaders.

"Good, cuz I'm counting on ya!" Junpei smirked at the blonde robot.

Akihiko lightly pound his fists together. "This is going to be easy."

"Yes it is," Mitsuru nodded in agreement.

* * *

Jin looked away from the staircase he was defending and frowned at SEES as they finally arrived. "So, you came after all…"

"You…!?" Akihiko narrowed his eyes on the Hermit. "Where's your partner?"

"Takaya went on ahead of me," Jin nodded towards the stairs. "He's destined for greater things." He studied the resolved expressions on their faces. "So, it looks like you're serious about fighting Nyx."

"How do you know about Nyx…?" Fuuka asked.

"You hacked into Ikutsuki's files too, didn't you?" Jin impressively smirked at the teal-haired girl. "Not a lot of it made sense, but I managed to piece together the information he left behind." The blue-haired boy shook his head. "He was a real nutjob…"

"Did you know Ikutsuki?" Yukari asked him.

"We were surprised to find out he was your boss," the Strega member shrugged. "We really only knew his name… He was just one of the researchers who created us."

"He 'created' you!?" Mitsuru blinked at him in surprise. She looked over towards Minato and Fuuka to see if they had managed to find any evidence of the sort, but both juniors only frowned.

"Who are you!?" Fuuka shook her head at Jin.

"Heh…" the glasses-wearing boy sneered at them. "There's no use in telling you… The end is near."

"We don't have time for this…" Mitsuru raised her rapier. "Get out of our way."

"Can't do that, little lady…" Jin pulled a bomb from his pocket. "There's no way you'll be able to stop Nyx… But, I can't let you interfere with Takaya's wish."

"Do you even understand what you're saying!?" Yukari cried. "If Nyx isn't stopped, all life will be destroyed!"

"Exactly," he nodded. "We won't live much longer… and we want to see the end before we die. That is Takaya's wish… so I'm not backing down."

"But…" Fuuka sadly frowned at him.

"Enough talk," Jin shook his head, not wanting her sympathy. He looked over towards Minato and saw the blue-haired swordsman already in his battle stance. "Let's do this."

Minato wordlessly agreed as he darted straight towards him. "Let's go, team!"

"This is it…" Jin braced himself for the younger boy's sword. "I ain't holding back!" As soon as Minato was close enough, he tossed a smokescreen. The cover confused the swordsman as well as his nearby teammates and Jin quickly used the chance to beeline straight towards Mitsuru and Fuuka. "I've improved since our last fight! You can't hide your weaknesses from me!"

Yukari sensed him rushing past her so quickly brought up her Evoker. "Garudyne!" She missed the tricky bomb specialist but managed to dispel the smoke, leaving him in the open.

Junpei spotted him and swung his katana at him. "Take this!"

Jin jumped back and tossed a hand grenade towards Mitsuru, hoping to strike her weakness, but Koromaru quickly knocked the explosive aside. "Damn mutt!"

"Artemisia!" Mitsuru fired her Evoker and cast Bufudyne.

Jin was knocked back by the powerful ice spell, but he quickly got up. "Tch, you think you're tough? I won't lose this time!" When everyone was gathered around him, he focused Moros's power. "Megido!"

"Marakukaja!" Aigis boosted everyone's defenses in time as Hamuko brought her naginata up to block the attack.

The co-leader smirked at how weak the almighty spell was. "Really? That's nothing compared to this!" She fired her Evoker to cast her own version of the spell. "Lucifer!"

Jin let out an agonized cry as he was knocked down again. "No… I ain't finished yet! Come on!" He called Moros again as Ken tried to skewer him with his spear.

"Ken, get back!" Akihiko frowned as the air staled.

Minato tackled into the younger boy as Moros began exhaling a purple mist. "Hold your breath!" he directed the child, but soon the older boy began coughing as he inhaled some of the noxious gas.

Jin smirked as he cast Swift Strike. "I've got you now!" He flinched when Minato unexpectedly parried his Persona's attack, reflecting it back towards him.

The sickly swordsman dropped to his knee as the poison ate away his health. "What else you got?" he smirked through the pain.

"Dammit…!" Jin scowled at him before trying to toss a bomb in Minato's direction.

Hamuko quickly knocked the explosive back towards Jin and brought the blade of her naginata up. "Nice try, Jin, but there's no way you could have ever defeated us alone." She sliced her weapon downward and watched as the blue-haired young man fall to the ground.

"Ugh…" he blankly stared up at the ceiling. "I failed… Ngh…"

Minato slowly rose to his feet and tossed away an empty antidote bottle. "Good work, everyone," he nodded to his team. He frowned at the Hermit as he stood over the downed boy.

Jin frowned at him. "What're you waiting for…? Finish me off! I would do anything for Takaya…"

Akihiko shook his head. "Why are you so loyal to him?"

"Heh… You wouldn't understand…" the Strega member smirked. "Takaya showed me the light when I was in the darkness…" His eyes glowed as he recalled his past. "It was a long time ago… In order to better understand the Dark Hour… Kirijo rounded up kids that were living on the streets, and gave them special powers… so they could investigate Tartarus."

"What…?" Mitsuru frowned in light of the new information.

"But, when that power doesn't emerge naturally, it's difficult to control," Jin continued. "So the kids had to take experimental medication so their powers wouldn't kill them. Only three kids out of the original hundred survived, and after 6 months, the experiment was cancelled."

"Then," Fuuka sadly frowned at him, "those three were…"

Mitsuru shook her head. "You all suffered at the hands of Kirijo…"

"And you both thought I was the same, didn't you?" Minato frowned and Jin smirked at him. "Well, I'm not… I guess I'm not that different, but I'm not the same either… Takaya's views are too different from my own… I could never acknowledge his ideals."

"Well, Takaya saved me from it all…" Jin shook his head at him. "He said, 'Don't let the past control you, and don't look to the future; simply live in the moment'…" He let out a wry laugh as he saw Minato's frown deepen. "To be honest, I don't even care about Kirijo anymore. But, Takaya's wish… must be… fulfilled…!"

Yukari looked away from him. "You…"

Akihiko tensed up when he heard growls coming from the staircase behind them. "Tch! We were here too long!"

"We're running out of time!" Mitsuru narrowed her eyes. "We have to go! Now!"

"But…" Junpei furrowed his brows on the hurt boy on the ground, "we can't…"

"You idiot!" Jin snapped at them. "I don't want your pity…!"

Mitsuru stared at him for a while longer before making the difficult decision to go on ahead. Ken frowned at the ground as Koromaru whimpered. The two quickly went after her, much to Fuuka's surprise.

The teal-haired girl turned towards the quiet Minato. "B-but…"

Akihiko shook his head at her. "No hesitation. If we don't defeat Nyx, then this was all for nothing."

"A-alright…" Yukari dragged her feet.

Junpei pulled his cap down as he too followed suit. "Dammit…"

Hamuko pulled on Minato's arm. "Let's go," she told him.

He numbly nodded and picked up his sword. "Fuuka…"

"Yeah," the teal-haired girl hung her head as she followed after him.

Aigis was the last to move as she continued to stare at Jin. Akihiko called out to her. "Aigis…" The robot lifted her gaze towards the boxer. "It's time to go." She reluctantly joined the others, leaving Jin alone.

The defeated blue-haired boy shook his head. "Look at all of 'em, crawling out with those nasty faces…" He smirked as he sensed the Shadows crawling towards him. "Heh… I won't let you eat me…" He lifted his head to look at the staircase leading up. "I believe in you, Takaya… Fulfill your wish… I will hold on to the freedom you gave me to the very end…!" He reached into his pocket for his last grenade and pulled the pin. "This… is how Strega lives…" he said with a smirk.

Minato clenched his fists as the ground shook due to an explosion beneath them. Fuuka clung to him as she sensed Jin's presence fade away. Everyone else mildly turned towards the stairs in surprise.

Junpei frowned. "Hey… was that…?" He started back for the lower floor. "Did he…!?"

Akihiko blocked his path. "Don't look…!" he sharply scolded the junior as he frowned at the floor.

Mitsuru grabbed her own arm. "Let's go…"

* * *

Minato let out a heavy sigh as Takaya lifted his gaze towards him. "Takaya…" he tilted his head forward and glared at the shirtless boy.

"You've arrived at last, Minato Yuki," Takaya smirked at him.

"Is the top of Tartarus past here?" Akihiko asked.

"Indeed," the lone Strega member nodded.

"Then, let us through," the boxer glared at him.

"I am not standing in your way," Takaya shook his head. "I take it you have defeated Jin…" he said with a frown. "You are quite troublesome. What is it that you seek?" he asked Minato.

"We want to live," the blue-haired swordsman calmly stated.

"That's an impossible wish," the shirtless young man sighed. "These are your final moments… The end is nigh."

"Sorry…" Akihiko smirked. "But, we're not gonna let that happen!"

"You are merely wasting your energy…" Takaya smirked. "Why not celebrate this wonderful moment? What better way could you spend your final moments together?"

"Will you shut up already!?" Yukari vehemently glared at him.

"My life was stolen from me…" Takaya snapped at her. "And in its place, I was given a power I never asked for…" He noticed Minato tense up at that. "And so, I learned that the future is only a delusion. Only by striving to live every moment to its fullest can the soul truly be satisfied. That is why we welcome this glorious revelation, to shine a light upon this darkened world!"

"You're so full of shit!" Junpei angrily cried out. "I'm not dying so you can have a friggin' night-light!"

"This is not merely my desire," Takaya shook his head. "There are many who have also gathered to rejoice in her arrival."

"That's just because all these weird things have been happening…!" Fuuka stated.

"That is untrue…" the wavy-haired boy coolly shut her down. "Who is responsible for reviving Nyx?" he asked. "Can a single person boast of this great accomplishment?" Aigis frowned as she noticed Hamuko trembling at Minato's side. Takaya didn't seem to notice them though as he continued his tirade. "You all worked tirelessly to prevent it, and yet in doing so, you unwittingly aided in her coming…" He arrogantly smirked at them. "So you see, this is not just my will; it is the will of all people. Men cannot face death without first finding meaning in life… But the world has realized that any meaning in life was lost long ago… Nyx has come because humanity has cried out for her salvation!"

"That can't be…!" Fuuka refused to accept his words.

"I-I don't believe you!" Ken angrily stated. "Who would ever wish for Nyx to come!?"

"And yet," Aigis frowned, "there is truth in what he says…"

"Aigis…" Yukari looked at the robot in confusion.

"But, now we know that it was a mistake…" Aigis stated in determination. "And that's why we're here. It's not a matter of whether it is possible or not… It's a matter of believing in ourselves. That's what it means to 'live'."

Minato chuckled as he stared into Takaya's gold eyes. "To live a still life, never searching for one's purpose, going into a still death…" he frowned as he remembered how he used to live, "to avoid pain above all… The coward I was before really would have joined you, Takaya. But as for the me standing before you right now, I wouldn't want to live that way…" he shook his head. "I want to live for a reason, and to live for others…" he turned his head to look back at his team.

"We are not alone," Mitsuru nodded. "What is impossible for one becomes feasible with the help of one's friends," she smiled at Yukari and the others. The redhead cast Takaya a pitiful frown. "You lack such things; thus, the coming Demise appears as salvation to you. In choosing solitude over bonds with others, you are limited by your own abilities. We have no such limits."

"Yeah," Hamuko smirked. "The world isn't so simple that one person can decide whether we all live or we all die… So, even if there is no hope, we won't give up because we still have each other. That's our meaning of life."

Takaya walked out in front of them and frowned at the red-eyed brunette. "Hmph. What do you know of this world? No matter how long you search or how hard you pray, eventually you will realize that there is no truth." The twins glared at him at this. "Just as death is eternal, a truth that has been lost can never be found again. Are you really so desperate to die that you will stand before the almighty Nyx!?"

"If the truth is that we die no matter what we do, then it's best for us to stand for our beliefs," Minato nodded. "No matter how difficult it is to face the truth and Death, we won't look away."

Takaya stared at him in disbelief. "What utter foolishness…!"

"Well, you're in the presence of a team led by two Fools," Hamuko smirked. "Alone we might be zeroes, but together we can go beyond infinity!"

"Those who rush into battle where death is certain are denying the Demise!" Takaya glared at the younger twin. "Don't you understand that?"

"I do," Hamuko nodded. "But we have a track record of defying fate and believing in the future." She turned her head towards her brother and smiled. "According to you, our lives were stolen from us too when Death decided to live within us, but I don't think so. We were given new lives, one we will definitely share with those we have bonded with." Her red eyes burned in determination. "That's our undeniable truth!"

"Very well then…" Takaya sighed as it was useless to mince words with the difficult girl. "If you insist on proving the superiority of your way, I shall do the same!"

"Fine," Hamuko accepted his challenge. "Nii-san, you'll leave him to me, right? He's really starting to piss me off."

Minato smirked at his younger sister. "Sorry, but if you really want to show him he's wrong, you'll need me and Thanatos."

"Then we'll do this together," the brunette nodded. "Just like always…"

"Everyone," Minato looked towards their team, "stand down. Leave this to us."

"W-what?" Yukari stared at their leaders in disbelief. "You can't fight him alone!"

"What if it's a trick!?" Ken asked.

"Relax," Minato told them. "We know what we're doing. We're going to show him proof of our bond. You've always believed in us before. This is no different."

"That's right," Hamuko got into her battle stance. "Our bonds against Takaya's nihilistic solitude… There's no way we can fail."

Takaya sneered at the twins as they stood before him. "Whatever the outcome, your actions are pointless…" He pulled out his revolver. "Nyx's advent is but moments away!" he laughed.

"Sorry, but fate is ours to command!" Minato roared as he charged at the shirtless boy.

"You needn't hurry," Takaya shook his head as he dodged to the side. "The moment we await is predestined. It's only a matter of time."

"Fuuka-chan! Back us up!" Hamuko spun her naginata expertly to deflect the shots Takaya fired towards her.

 _"Please be careful! I sense even greater power than before…!"_

"Well, he's still no Elizabeth," Minato smirked. "Hamuko!" He raised his Evoker up.

"Thanatos!" Hamuko fired her Evoker too, calling for their god of Death.

"Hypnos!" Takaya's gold eyes glowed in anticipation.

Both Personas grappled each other before Hypnos tried to lift the feral Persona into the air. Thanatos let out a roar as he unsheathed his blade and stabbed it through the flying Persona's body.

"Easy, Thanatos," Minato placed a hand over his heart. "You don't have to go too far…"

Takaya winced as Hypnos was quickly dispelled. "So that is the true form of your Reaper… Yet you still refuse to acknowledge you are like me," he glared at Minato.

"He's not like you!" Hamuko scowled as she sliced at their opponent with her blade. "He can never be like you so long as I'm here with him!"

"Then I'll get rid of you first!" the shirtless boy tried calling for Hypnos again. "Megidoloan!"

"Morning Star!" Minato's blue eyes flashed.

"Everyone, get down!" Akihiko called out to the others as both spells collided.

Junpei brought a hand up to his cap to prevent it from flying off his head. "Dude, they're really going at it!"

Fuuka frowned as she continued to monitor the twins. _"Neither side is letting up! Wait, what's this?"_ She shivered as Juno sensed a powerful force beginning to stir on the floor above them. _"Something's happening on the next floor! Minato-kun! Hamuko-chan!"_

Takaya picked himself up from the ground as he felt it too. "Even as I speak, I can feel it," he chuckled. "The end of everything… I pity those who cannot see it for what it truly is… a blessing."

"Well, we pity those who can't see life for what it is…" Hamuko struggled to get up. "A miracle!" She didn't wait for Minato as she swapped Personas. "Sandalphon!" The protective angel appeared behind her and quickly charged into Takaya.

The Strega leader grunted as he couldn't block the attack. "We are mere mortals; we cannot change our fate," he shook his head. "You would be foolish to deny it…" He fired his revolver towards Minato but frowned as a cloaked Persona appeared to defend the downed boy.

"Life is only temporary…" Minato smiled at Scathach's presence. "We know that better than anyone…" He sent his Persona forward to cast Mabufudyne. "But there is no reason to cut it short when a world of infinite possibility lies before us!"

The twins cried out in frustration as both their Personas charged into him. "Why can't you see that!?"

Takaya slammed into the ground and began laughing. "It seems we are destined to be in opposition…" he told the twins as they frowned at him. "How can you both summon such power… even in the face of death…?" He shakily got back up and summoned Hypnos.

"Because we want to live," Hamuko told him again as she lifted her Evoker again.

"Dying is easy," Minato sighed as he pressed the metal gun to the side of his head, "and living is difficult… But we still want to live…"

They pulled their triggers and called for Thanatos again. The Reaper-like Persona roared as he charged forth with his blade. He made short work of his mythological brother before setting his sights on Takaya. Thanatos lunged forward, aiming to behead the final member of Strega, only to stop short with his blade level at Takaya's throat.

Takaya had been prepared for the blow but when it never came, he felt his body give out from under him as he collapsed to the floor. Thanatos remained towering over him as the Strega leader looked towards the twins. "I have failed… haven't I…?"

"You put up a good fight," Minato calmly told him as he lowered his Lucifer's Blade, "but it looks like our truth was stronger than your truth."

Hamuko relaxed as she put down her Vel Vel Muruga. "We're sorry it had to end this way."

Takaya shook his head at the soft-hearted twins. "There is nothing more I can do… Now… kill me."

The twins tensed up at that. Thanatos patiently awaited their orders, eager to bring Death to their opponent, but they couldn't find it within themselves to want to do so. Aigis studied them for a moment before turning back to Takaya. "Are you scared?" she asked the defeated young man.

"What a peculiar question," the shirtless boy stared at her oddly. "You know nothing of death, if you think that it is something to fear…"

"What do you mean?" the blonde frowned.

"You fear it because you do not understand it… I will not explain to you any further," Takaya shook his head. He bravely faced Thanatos. "Well? What are you waiting for? Finish me!"

Hamuko and Minato looked to each other before recalling Thanatos. Minato sighed as he looked down on Takaya. "There's no honor in taking the life of someone who can't move."

Hamuko nodded in agreement. "We'll let you live to see if what you wished for comes true or not."

"Yeah," Junpei smirked, "lie there and repent for what you've done."

Takaya laughed at the strange leaders of SEES. "You are all so odd…" He slowly closed his eyes to rest himself.

"If you try anything else, we'll just stop you again," Hamuko warned him.

"But we still won't kill you," Minato shrugged. "Deep down, we still might have some hope left for you."

"As I with you, Minato Yuki," Takaya sighed.

"Then we'll just see who falters first," the blue-haired boy smirked.

"You both really are alike," the red-eyed brunette chuckled, "but the truths you both carry will always oppose each other."

"And now it's time for the ultimate test of the truth we've decided on," her brother nodded as he looked up towards the stairs. "Everyone… it's time…"

They all gathered at the base of the staircase and looked up. Mitsuru smiled as she couldn't believe it. After a lifetime of always wondering what was at the top of Tartarus, she would finally be able to see for herself the tower's summit. "We're finally here… Up ahead is the top of Tartarus… The promised place Ryoji spoke of." She searched the twins' expressions for signs of exhaustion but as usual, they seemed ready. "Let's regroup for the final battle," she nodded to them.

* * *

Minato took slow calm breaths as he adjusted himself to the thin air. He took a good look at the roof of Tartarus and thought it was rather empty. Of course, with the dark clouds billowing all around them, there wasn't much he could see. And there wasn't really anything waiting for them. Actually, he didn't really know what he was expecting but whatever came their way, they'd be ready.

Mitsuru stood at his side as she took in the moment. "We finally reached the top," she proudly stated.

Yukari cautiously glanced at their surroundings before lifting her gaze up. "Hey, look at the sky!"

Fuuka tensed up as the swirling energy from before grew even more intense. "Something's coming!"

"Is it Nyx!?" Akihiko prepared himself for battle.

The navigator closed her eyes and frowned. "I can sense it even without my Persona. This is the first time that's ever happened…"

Hamuko and Minato winced as something flashed in front of them. The younger twin backed into her brother. "Minato… Can you feel that?"

"The ultimate Reaper…" he gasped for air. "It's here…"

The clouds parted as a large winged creature descended to the tower. Black wings were folded over the being's main body and as they unfurled, they revealed a humanoid figure, standing over the team. All of SEES stared as its face resembled that of Ryoji Mochizuki's.

Aigis frowned. "You are…"

"Ryoji-kun…!?" Yukari shook her head.

"That was my name for a time…" the figure spoke in a distorted voice similar to Minato's. "I didn't mind it."

"What's going on?" Mitsuru asked. "Wait, are you…?"

"I am merely a harbinger of the Fall… Though it would be more correct to say that is what I once was." It shook its head. "There is no longer a distinction to be made between Nyx and myself…"

"So you're not Ryoji," Hamuko sadly sighed.

"But you're not Nyx either," Minato shook his head.

"I am Nyx Avatar," the winged figure looked down on the twins. "You should have chosen to forget instead of facing me here…" it regretfully sighed.

"Is that so…?" Akihiko smirked. "Well, regardless, I don't regret my decision. I'll defeat you, no matter what you are!"

Nyx Avatar studied everyone's expressions and saw that they firmly held their ground. "I see…" it nodded. "Then, you must already know. What people fear most… What they try to ignore… That is what I am."

"We know that already," Ken stated.

"Yeah…" Akihiko frowned. "Everyone does."

"It's the one certainty for all living things…" Mitsuru nodded.

"Then you must also understand that it is futile to resist," Nyx Avatar told them. "Will you still face me?" it asked. "There must be trembling in your hearts…"

"Yeah, of course I'm scared…" Junpei gulped. "But who cares about that right now? I got too much to live for!"

Yukari nodded in agreement. "I'm not gonna live in fear anymore! Being really alive means not turning away from death… So I won't turn and cower, not even to you!"

"I will stop you," Aigis got into her battle stance, "even if I must sacrifice myself to do so. I do this of my own choice!"

"I see," Nyx Avatar seemed to smile before looking at the twins.

"We'll show you our resolve to live," Minato nodded to their final opponent.

"Everyone, let's go!" Hamuko cried.

"Minato… Hamuko…" the raven-haired figure stared at them. "Come to me…" He flapped his wings, whipping up a powerful gale around them.

Fuuka stood her ground as she sensed an upcoming attack. "Everyone, get ready!" she called out. "Nyx is preparing to attack!"

"This is our last chance…" Mitsuru declared. "We can't afford to lose!"

"Everyone!" Minato focused his sights on Nyx Avatar. "Evokers at the ready!" Everyone quickly pulled out their guns.

"Failure is not an option!" Hamuko reminded them.

Fuuka immediately began her scan of the enemy. _"It's the Fool Arcana!"_

Nyx Avatar arrogantly smiled down upon the team. "The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate… Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to dim hope. Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…"

Minato and Hamuko led the charge as they sliced at their opponent. Nyx Avatar didn't retaliate though as the rest of the team bombarded it with attacks. Koromaru barked as he managed to knock the large figure down. Minato smirked as he called out to the team. "Everyone with me!?"

Hamuko leapt into the air. "It's time for the Kiss of Death!" They left the enemy reeling before she fired her Evoker. "Susano-o!" Her Persona quickly finished off the enemy's remaining health with God's Hand. She paused as she noticed something strange. "Huh? Is that a Persona card?"

"That's the Fool Arcana!" Minato frowned. "Just what is it doing?"

Nyx Avatar smiled as the drifting card turned into the Magician Arcana. "Attaining one's dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination."

 _"Nyx's Arcana changed to the Magician!?"_ Fuuka cried out in surprise. _"Be careful! Its properties have changed!"_

"Hold back on the fire attacks!" Minato called out to Junpei and Koromaru as he ducked a burning inferno aimed at him.

"Right!" Their resident Magician nodded as he slashed at Nyx Avatar with his katana. "Time to shake things up a bit," Junpei smirked as he summoned Trismegistus.

"Surt!" Hamuko and Minato called for the fire giant. Both Personas cast Deathbound, forcing their enemy to summon another Persona card.

"The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom," Nyx Avatar softly muttered.

 _"It changed properties again. If you need me to analyze it, just say the word."_

"Priestess this time," Minato frowned. "Fuuka, what element is it specializing in?"

 _"Ice!"_ she told him. _"So avoid using Bufu skills!"_

"Hamuko!" the blue-haired boy dodged the Mabufudyne targeting the entire team.

"On it!" The brunette fired her Evoker. "Cu Chulainn!"

"Scathach!"

"Fusion Spell: Shadow Hound!"

"Celebrate life's grandeur…" the Empress Arcana appeared before them, "its brilliance… its magnificence…" Nyx Avatar flapped its wings again as it cast Magarudyne.

As soon as the twins regained their footing, they lifted their Evokers. "Alilat!" they cried as they cast Mabufudyne.

Mitsuru's eyes flashed as she called for Artemisia to use the same spell. "This ends now!"

 _"It's shifting to the Emperor!"_ Fuuka warned them.

"Only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer…" Nyx Avatar smiled.

Akihiko smirked at that. "I'll show you my courage! Caesar!" The kingly Persona quickly cast Elec Break.

Minato roared as he called for Odin. "Thunder Reign!"

Hamuko took advantage of the aftereffects of her brother's attack and cast Primal Force. "Helel!" The powerful pierce attack knocked Nyx Avatar to the ground.

"I've been waiting for this!" the boxer smirked as everyone got into position. "Okay—NOW!"

Nyx Avatar slowly got back up from the team's violent assault. "It is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guide oneself…" It waved its arm to cast Revolution before quickly swiping its arm at Ken.

The brunet winced as he was knocked to the ground. Fuuka shook her head and cried out to the team. _"It's preparing to use Vile Assault! Someone help Ken-kun!"_

"Kohryu!" Minato summoned the great dragon and took the blow.

"Sandalphon!" Hamuko quickly healed Ken as Akihiko fired his Evoker.

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko fired his Evoker.

Minato and Hamuko smirked to each other as they stabbed their weapons into their enemy. The blue-haired boy chuckled. "As Shinji-nii would say…"

"Adios, asshole," the brunette pulled her naginata back.

Nyx Avatar sadly smiled at the red-eyed girl as it changed its Arcana again. "There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another…" It cast a spell over the entire team and watched as half of SEES began to panic.

Yukari shook her head to clear her fears as she quickly pressed her Evoker against her forehead. "I swear on my life!" she cried as Isis emerged behind her to cast Me Patra.

"Cybele!" Hamuko and Minato smirked as they cast Megidola.

 _"Next is Chariot!"_

"One of life's greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one's goals," Nyx Avatar nodded to Aigis as it began Power Charging. Once it was ready, it prepared to use Akasha Arts.

The blonde robot braced herself as she called for Pallas Athena. "This is my duty!" she stated as she boosted the team's defense.

"Thor!" Minato called for the Chariot Persona to cast Ziodyne.

"Megidoloan!" Hamuko smirked as Metatron appeared.

Nyx Avatar shook off the explosion as best it could before continuing. "To find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty…" The ground glowed in bright light as it used Mahamaon.

Ken frowned as he and the twins pushed everyone aside. "Watch out!" He flinched a bit when the entire field flashed, but he was unaffected by the spell. The brunet lifted his head as he pointed his Evoker to his chest. "It's time to get serious!" Kala-Nemi appeared from him and cast Ziodyne.

"Keep it up!" Hamuko encouraged him with a smile as she and her brother called for Melchizedek.

"God's Hand!" Minato raised his fist into the air.

Nyx Avatar shook its head. "It requires great courage to look at oneself honestly, and forge one's own path…" With a wave of its arm, it quickly cast two spells and waited for their attacks.

 _"It's the Hermit Arcana! Be careful, it set up reflective barriers for both physical and magical attacks!"_ Fuuka frowned.

Minato and Hamuko smirked. "Arahabaki!" They used Vicious Strike and watched as their attack bounced back at them. Their Persona stood tall though as it wasn't fazed at all.

"This is how we live!" Hamuko cried out as she led the charge for their team.

"Attack!" their blue-haired leader cried as he charged forth with his sword out. He was flung back by the Nyx Avatar, but he nimbly landed on his feet as he noticed another Arcana Shift.

"Alongside time exists fate," their opponent reminded them, "the bearer of cruelty." Flames erupted from the ground to surround the team as Nyx Avatar barraged them with spells of every element.

Fuuka winced as everyone around her was knocked down to the ground. _"It's blocking every element! Please use only physical attacks!"_

"Doing that would be resigning myself to fate," Hamuko smirked as she got back up. "Yukari, Wind Break, please!" When the archer did as she asked, the co-leader lifted up her Evoker. "Panta Rhei!" Norn appeared before her and tore through Nyx Avatar with the violent gust.

Minato rushed towards Nyx Avatar. "Time and fate may be cruel…" A Shadow of Thanatos faintly emerged from the blue-haired swordsman, but he quickly reigned in the terrifying beast's power before catching the breeze of Hamuko's spell. He jumped into the air and raised his sword above his head. "But you and I both know that they're also beautiful, Ryoji!" He brought his sword down on Nyx Avatar's body.

The winged figure shook his head at him. "Only with strength can one endure suffering and torment."

"And I'm telling you we have that strength!" Minato frowned as he and Hamuko called for Siegfried. However, their attack didn't seem to affect it as they sensed their defenses weaken.

Koromaru howled as he called for his own Persona. Cerberus quickly raised everyone's agility, allowing the team to evade Nyx Avatar's Power Charged Deathbound. The dog growled as he called on Cerberus again to use Agidyne.

"Way to go, Koro-chan!" Hamuko smirked at the red-eyed beast.

"In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal," Nyx Avatar brushed aside the flames.

"I know you're watching me, Chidori!" Junpei cried as he summoned his Persona to charge into their enemy.

 _"It looks like it's Mind Charging a Megidola spell!"_ Fuuka warned them.

"Then we'll use a Megidola spell of our own," Minato stated as he and Hamuko summoned Attis.

The team shielded themselves as both explosions knocked everyone down. Hamuko threw a Soma into the air as they finally cleared the 13 Arcana. "Is everyone alright?" she called out.

"For the most part, yeah," Yukari panted.

"Where's Nyx Avatar?" Minato looked around the battlefield for their enemy. "Did we defeat it?" He paused as he sensed the familiar presence rise behind him. The swordsman slowly turned around and brought his sword up defensively.

"The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate…" Nyx Avatar stated once again. "Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…" All of the previous 13 Arcana appeared in the air and circled the winged figure. "Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are…" Nyx Avatar shook its head. "Death awaits you." The cards combined and the twins tensed up as the Death Arcana flashed before their enemy.

 _"I sense… Death!"_ Fuuka cried out to the rest of the team. _"Nyx's true Arcana is Death!"_

Junpei felt his knees turn into jelly. "C-can we really face it?"

"We've come this far," Mitsuru frowned. "We must!"

Everybody brought their weapons up but was too petrified to move. Looking over to their leaders, they noticed the twins were violently shaking. A cold dread struck through them as they knew that if their two Wild Cards gave up now, all would be lost. However, after a moment of silence, the twins began chuckling.

"You're looking forward to this, aren't you, Thanatos…?" Hamuko felt the Persona inside of her stir as it resonated with their adversary. She cast her red eyes towards her brother as they shared a smirk.

"How exhilarating…" Minato breathed. "Finally, an enemy we can let loose on!" His blue eyes fiercely burned in anticipation and determination. "Hamuko, Thanatos! Let's do this!" he roared as he allowed their Persona's violent nature to overtake him.

"Persona!" the twins cried out for the Reaper that had always resided within them. Thanatos roared as it cast Morning Star.

All of SEES smirked as it was just like their leaders to charge forth without reservation. They all followed suit and called for all of their Personas. "Save some of the action for us!" Akihiko grinned as he sent Caesar forward.

 _"It's resistant to all types of attacks except Almighty!"_ Fuuka informed them. _"But if you keep attacking it, I'm sure we can win!"_

The Nyx Avatar folded its wings to protect itself from their onslaught of spells. "You cannot avoid death," it shook its head. "To live is to die; they are one in the same…"

"You're wrong!" Hamuko cried out. "For them to be the same, they would have to be reflexive!"

"And we know for a fact that dying isn't living!" Minato declared. "Much like time…" He and Thanatos slashed at Nyx Avatar. "Life is precious…!"

"And we'll fight for it with our lives!" Hamuko jammed the blade of her naginata into the thick black wings of their opponent.

With all of SEES surrounding it, Nyx Avatar decided it had enough of their useless struggling. It forcefully unfurled its wings, throwing them back. It rose into the air and cast a spell before folding its wings over its body again. Fuuka frowned as their enemy was encased behind a strange barrier. As the twins were the first to get up, they started to charge towards Nyx Avatar again with Thanatos.

 _"W-wait!"_ Fuuka called out to them. _"Something's strange about Nyx… I have a bad feeling about this… It's definitely up to something!"_

"Then shouldn't we attack!?" Minato asked her.

 _"No, don't! Have everyone hold their attacks! It's too dangerous right now!"_ she told him.

Thanatos roared in complaint but Hamuko quickly reined him in. "Not now, Thanatos! When it's time, we'll let you go all out! For now, we need to focus on our defenses!"

Minato reached into his pocket and threw up another Soma. "How's everyone holding up?"

"We should be good for another round," Yukari nodded to him.

"What's the status with Nyx Avatar, Fuuka-san?" Ken asked.

 _"I think it's preparing an attack! It seems more powerful than anything we've seen so far, so don't let your guard down!"_ Fuuka tensed up. _"It's coming!"_

"You heard her!" Hamuko nodded to the team. "Guards up!"

Nyx Avatar slowly revealed itself to them. "Let us finish this," it boldly stated as he extended a hand towards them. "It is the path of your choosing."

The team cried out in pain as pillars of dark energy erupted from the ground, tossing them in the air. Not even Juno's protective bubble was able to block against it as Fuuka collapsed to the ground.

"Fuuka!" Minato turned towards her but winced as Nyx Avatar grabbed him and Hamuko. "Sh-shit!" The blue-eyed boy dropped his Evoker as he was lifted up from the ground. He scanned around for something, anything to use as a weapon before he noticed his headphones threatening to fall off his person. _My headphones…!?_ He quickly caught them before an idea suddenly came to him. _Fuuka!_ "O-oracle! Use Oracle, Fuuka!"

"What!?" the teal-haired girl stared at him in disbelief. "But…!"

"Invoke Oracle!" Hamuko yelled at their navigator. She screamed in pain as their enemy squeezed her. "Please! Without his Evoker, we can't summon Thanatos! Fuuka-chan!"

Minato struggled against Nyx Avatar. "Fuuka!" He managed to force a confident smirk onto his face. "As your 'harbor of courage', I believe in your support skills! Cast Oracle!" His eyes widened as he sensed a Megidola coming up. "Now!" he screamed with the last of his strength.

"Minato-kun! Hamuko-chan!" the teal-haired girl winced as the twins took the spell head-on before being thrown into the rest of the downed team. Fuuka focused on Juno's power and prayed Oracle's effects would arrive in time and actually be of some use to them. All of the pressure was on her to turn the tide of battle, but it didn't help that Nyx Avatar began assaulting the entire battlefield with various elemental spells. It was difficult to watch all of her friends get ravaged by the attacks while she was safe in Juno's protective bubble. "Everyone! O-oracle, standing by!"

"D-dammit!" Junpei cried out as he was hit by the Magarudyne spell.

Koromaru whimpered as electricity rained down over the team. Aigis and Yukari collapsed to the ground when they were struck by their weaknesses. Ken and Akihiko tried to cast a healing spell but they winced as ice exploded out of the ground. Finally, fire ravaged the field, trapping Mitsuru in a ring of flames. The Empress screamed as Artemisia's ice spells did nothing to against the intense heat.

Fuuka gasped as the twins were nowhere to be found in the mess. "E-everyone, p-please! Get up!" She tensed up though when Nyx Avatar towered over her.

"The time has come!" it told her as it prepared an attack.

"M-megidola…?" Fuuka trembled as the winged figure's attack threatened to break Juno's barrier. "No!"

Nyx Avatar frowned as her Persona seemed sturdier than appearances would let on. It quickly cast Mind Charge before readying another Megidola spell. "All shall perish."

The teal-haired girl clenched her fists as she sensed Juno was finally ready. "Invoking Oracle!" she cried out as she prepared for the worst. Nyx Avatar's charged up spell broke through her Persona and Fuuka let out a scream as she was caught in the explosion. She paused though as she sensed someone protectively catch her and shield her from the brunt of the blast. She opened her eyes to see Minato firing his Evoker.

"Mediarahan!" he cried out as Scathach waved her arm and surrounded them in a healing light. "Are you okay, Fuuka?" he looked down at his girlfriend in concern.

"Y-you're safe…" she happily smiled at him.

"Thanks to you and your Oracle," he nodded as he gently set her down. "I knew you could do it, Fuuka," he told her as he fiddled with his headphones. "I was more worried I wouldn't make it to you in time…"

Fuuka shook her head at him as she reached a hand up to her locket. "I believed in you all along too," she told him.

Minato smiled at her before getting back up. He turned his head back towards the fight and noticed Sandalphon was distracting Nyx Avatar. "Alright, ready on our end!" he called out to his sister.

"Everyone else is up too!" Hamuko smirked as she quickly recalled her Persona. "Evokers at the ready!" she directed the rest of the team.

Minato smirked as he pointed his Evoker to his head. "One last scan, Fuuka! Please?"

Fuuka nodded in determination as she summoned her Persona. "Juno!" The navigator quickly scanned Nyx Avatar. "Another Mind Charged Megidola!"

"Vishnu!" Minato roared as he started for his sister's side.

"Ananta!" Hamuko followed suit.

"Fusion Spell: Infinity!"

The entire team watched as the offensive spell glanced off them. Fuuka quickly called out to the fighters. "It's completely open now!"

Junpei raised his Evoker into the air. "Trismegistus!" His red and gold Persona sliced through the Nyx Avatar.

"Artemisia!" Mitsuru's red eyes flashed as she executed the enemy with a Mind Charged Bufudyne.

Akihiko grit his teeth as he cast Ziodyne. "Caesar!"

"Isis!" Yukari resolutely cried out as her Persona cast Garudyne.

"Pallas Athena!" Aigis smiled when God's Hand downed the winged figure.

Taking advantage of the enemy's condition, Ken quickly used Vile Assault. "Kala-Nemi!"

Koromaru howled as Cerberus unleashed an intense blast of fire against Nyx Avatar.

Minato spun his Evoker expertly. "Ready, Hamuko?"

"You bet!" Hamuko smirked.

The twins pointed their Evokers at each other's temples and pulled the trigger. "Thanatos!" The bloodthirsty Persona roared as he emerged before them. "Brave Blade!" Thanatos eagerly rushed forward and ran his blade through the embodiment of Death. The entire team watched silently as the great figure slumped over. The twins recalled their Persona, causing Nyx Avatar to fall backwards to ground. It motionlessly lay there as all of SEES tentatively gathered around the fallen enemy.

Mitsuru was the first to break the palpable silence. "Did we do it!?" she asked. She flinched back when Nyx Avatar began to stir.

The black-winged harbor of destruction slowly sat up and levitated into the sky. It shook its head at them. "Such a pity…" it said with its voice laden in regret. "You understand fate, yet you still fight against it with all of your will… If more people were like you, then perhaps the Fall could have been prevented…" it sighed, "but it's too late now." It continued to rise into the air and the brightly glowing moon behind it opened up to reveal a large entity within.

Fuuka's eyes widened. "The moon!"

"What is that!?" Yukari knit her eyebrows together.

Nyx Avatar turned towards the large celestial body as it sent a beam of light into the moon. Akihiko shook his head in disbelief. "This… this can't be real!" he cried.

"Soon…" Aigis began to tremble in fear. "Soon it will descend upon us… upon us all…"

Minato frowned as the usually silent Dark Hour suddenly brimmed with idle chatter. "Huh? Is something going on?" He peered over the edge of the roof and watched as the various coffins scattered here and there reverted into people. "Wh-what!? The people…!?"

"This isn't good," Hamuko frowned to herself as the voices of everyone in the world reached them. "The world's starting to panic…"

The entire team continued gaze up in fear before they noticed Takaya stumbling up the stairs behind them. They mildly looked to him in surprise as the shirtless boy smiled at the moon. "At last…" he breathlessly stated before dropping to the floor on his back. He laughed maniacally as his wish was coming true after all.

Ken glared at him. "You…!"

Takaya shook his head at SEES and chuckled. "Vexing, isn't it? The look on your face is priceless!"

"Shut up…!" Akihiko snapped at him.

"But," Yukari worriedly looked towards their leaders, "what're we gonna do!?"

Minato scowled to himself. "What else _can_ we do?" he asked.

Hamuko shook her head at her brother. "We can't give up now! We've come this far!" she pointed out.

Fuuka tensed as she sensed a change in the atmosphere. "Something's coming!" She screamed as the moon began to shoot out a wave of energy, crushing the party.

"Gah!" Minato winced as everyone collapsed to their knees.

"What is this…?" Ken asked.

Yukari tried to shake it off. "This is… nothing…"

Takaya frowned at the crazy teens. "How ridiculous… Are you out of your mind?"

"Look who's talking!" Junpei shot him a dirty look.

"Death is imminent…" Takaya sighed as he was tired of repeating himself to the moronic fools. "Surely you know this… What do you hope to accomplish now?" He smiled as he continued to stare at the beautiful moon. "I wanted to see the end with my own eyes… Jin…" His eyelids grew heavy and he soon passed out.

Aigis shook her head as she tried to fight against the pressure. "I will never give up! Never!"

Nyx Avatar shook its head at their futile struggle. "Why resist that which is inevitable? You will only suffer…" it sadly stated as it stared at Hamuko and Minato.

"Dammit," Junpei clenched his teeth. "I won't back down!"

"I've made up my mind…" Yukari gasped. "I'll fight to the end!"

Junpei let out a determined cry as they all managed to get back to their feet. The moon sent out another wave and Ken was the first to collapse. "Agh…!"

Akihiko turned towards the downed brunet. "Ken!" He frowned as Aigis and Junpei were the next to fall.

Junpei pounded the ground with his fist. "Son of a…!"

Mitsuru shook her head as she tried to remain standing. "We've come this far… I refuse to submit!"

Another shockwave knocked both seniors to the ground. Yukari felt her knees go weak and soon her legs gave out. "Minato! Hamuko! Fuuka!" She called out to the determined twins and navigator. "You three had better not give up!"

"W-wouldn't dream of it!" Minato grunted. "F-fuuka… C-can you s-summon J-juno?"

Fuuka shook her head. "S-sorry…"

"C-can you try?" Hamuko winced as another wave hit them. "U-urgh…" She let out a weak laugh as she collapsed. "M-minato… I think I can see… Shinji…"

"H-Hamuko! S-stay with me!" Minato tried to reach out for his sister but he began retching. His vision blurred and he let out a frustrated yell. "D-damn…! I c-can't… b-be at m-my l-limit…!" Before he knew it, he was on the ground. "F-fuuka… I'm sorry…" His eyes slowly closed as his consciousness slipped away.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka collapsed to her knee. "N-no!" She frowned to herself as she put her hands together around her locket. _Juno… Please… I don't know if this will help, but please! We have to do something! Everybody fought their hardest and I want to support them!_ She frowned as her Persona augmented her senses, amplifying the panicked frenzy of the people below. Fuuka groaned as the pressure increased, but she refused to give in to the dark depths of despair. _Courage! I need to believe in the courage everyone has given me! It's what connects us as a team!_ Her brown eyes widened as she remembered Minato's conversation with her from the night before. _That's it…!_

* * *

Natsuki ran through the dark, bloody streets of Iwatodai and spotted the stairs leading up to Naganaki Shrine. If there was one place that would be safe, it would definitely be the shrine. The tanned girl looked around as she noticed she wasn't the only one with that thought. She spotted a few of her former schoolmates gathered by the jungle gym and quickly approached them.

Kenji shook his head as he frowned up at the tower sticking up into the sky from Tatsumi Port Island. "But that's our school, isn't it?" he asked Rio. "That's just not right!"

Hidetoshi crossed his arms. "To think that something like this would happen to Gekkoukan…"

Natsuki tried to get their attention. "Does anyone know what's going on?" she asked.

"Huh?" Yuko blinked at her. "Oh… you're Natsuki-san from… 2-E? Ekoda's class, right?"

"I was in 2-E," she nodded, "before I transferred." She frowned at the familiar eerie green atmosphere. "Wait… You're all friends with Minato-san and his sister…"

"If you're looking for Fuuka-san, she's not here," Rio shook her head. The volleyball player frowned as she searched for Hamuko. "None of the members of Iwatodai Dorm are…"

"Then just where are they!?" Kaz yelled. "D-damn… If Minato were here… he'd definitely know what to do!"

Natsuki shook her head at the former track star. "Okay, we gotta stay calm…" she said in determination. She frowned as she thought of her best friend. "Just like Fuuka was when she saved me…" Images of the teal-haired girl holding a fake gun to her head flashed in her mind. _That's right… Your dorm's club…! You guys are fighting, right!? Fuuka!?_ She clenched her fists and put on a brave smile. "I'm the one who said we'll always be connected… That's how I know you're still hanging in there, Fuuka."

"Just what are you talking about?" Kenji frowned at her.

"Iwatodai Dorm!" Natsuki looked up at him. "Fuuka's club… They're doing something about this right now!" she exclaimed. "I'm sure of it!"

"There's no way…!" Hidetoshi shook his head before glancing towards their school. "The Student Council President… Hamuko… Minato… There's no way that…" He frowned to himself as he didn't want to doubt his friends. "They're… fighting…?"

"What the hell do they think they'll accomplish against the moon!?" Kaz shouted. "Damn it…!"

"Pull yourself together, Kaz!" Yuko scolded him. After a while, the Track Team Manager faltered a bit. "They're doing their best, right?"

Natsuki hoped so. "I'm scared as hell right now…" she admitted aloud, "but I won't give up!" Her exclamation caused everyone to look at her strangely. "I still believe in Fuuka and the others!" She turned towards the tower and shouted as loudly as she could. "You're still fighting to save us! Right, Fuuka!?"

Rio smiled at the girl's tenacity and was reminded of Hamuko. "T-that's right!" The Volleyball player clenched her fists and stood at Natsuki's side. "Hamuko!" she called out. "You're out there, right!? You helped remind me that I'm not alone! You're not alone either! I'm right here too! We're teammates after all and teammates support each other!"

"Just what are you doing?" Kenji sighed at her.

The athlete glared at him. "I'm trying to help my important friend! Minato-san's there too! Shouldn't you do the same?"

Kaz and Yuko looked to each other with a nod. The recovering runner let out a determined roar. "Dude! You'd better not lose! You gotta use your guts!"

"You were always there for us, Minato!" Yuko exclaimed. "And I told you that we'd support you too if you ever needed it!"

Kenji smirked as he remembered the times he hung out with the blue-haired junior. "You're my best friend, Minato! That still hasn't changed! Come on! When this is all over, I'll treat you to some ramen from Hagakure's!"

"Hamuko!" Hidetoshi clenched his fists. "Minato! I'll stand by you both to the very end!"

"Fuuka!" Natsuki called out to Tartarus once more, hoping their voices could reach their ever precious friends. The girl paused as she sensed a familiar presence, one she recalled protecting her long ago in the wide lobby of their school-turned labyrinth.

 _"Natsuki-chan!"_ a weak but happy voice cut into her mind.

The former bully's eyes widened as she brightly smiled. "Fuuka!"

* * *

"…san!" Minato frowned as a familiar voice called out to him. "Nii-san!" The blue-haired boy opened his eyes when he felt someone rocking him awake. "Minato! Get up!" Hamuko stared at him with glowing red eyes.

"Hamuko…?" The exhausted junior got up from the ground. "What happened? Are we…?" he looked around and noticed he was in the Velvet Room.

Igor shook his head at his guests. "There's no need to worry," he reassured them. "This isn't the afterlife… You're still alive."

Minato let out a sigh of relief but he immediately tensed up. "Wait, but what about Nyx?"

Hamuko frowned at Igor. "We did all we could, but things still ended up like this."

The long-nosed man nodded to them in understanding. "Do you remember what I once told you…?" The twins blinked at him in confusion. "How the strength of your Social Links will determine your potential?"

"That's right…" Minato nodded. "You gave us the Cipher's Mask as proof…" He blinked as said mask emerged from within them. He quickly tried to reach out for it but paused as something in his mind stirred. "What is that sound?" He focused his senses and vaguely felt someone calling out for them.

Igor held a hand up to his ear. "Listen…" he directed the twins. "Can you hear the many voices? Each one's power is limited… Yet, they all reach out to you… Can you feel them?"

Minato struggled to sift through the noise. "I'm not sure…"

"Close your eyes and listen carefully…" Igor directed the twins. "Their voices may be faint, but certainly you hear them…" When both teens closed their eyes, Igor held up his arms and summoned a large mass of energy. "Perhaps a little assistance…"

Hamuko flinched as the power built up within her but brightened as the voices grew louder and clearer. "Yes, I sense them…!" She frowned. "B-but how…?"

Minato smirked as a familiar Persona connected him to their friends. "Juno…" He opened his eyes and slipped on his headphones, improving the quality of the voices trying to call out to them. "Juno's connecting us together!" He wiped up the tears that began to form in his eyes. "Fuuka…"

"It's not just her," Hamuko placed a hand over her heart. "Everyone's powerful emotions…" She lifted her head in determination. "They're right here with us!" She smiled as Saori's kind smile appeared before her.

"I know in my heart, Hamuko-chan…" Saori nodded to the brunette. "You're doing all you can right now, aren't you? You always helped me out. Now it's my turn to help you…"

"Hamuko…" Rio wore a serious frown as she appeared too. "Things are going crazy right now, and I'm scared… but I'll be alright." The Volleyball player put on a brave smile. "I can feel from here that you're doing your best… You have to believe… that you're not alone either…"

"That's right," Kenji agreed as he called out for his best friend. "I'll always have your back, Minato. All I can do right now is pray… But, whatever it is, man… I know you can do it."

Kaz let out a wry laugh. "Something crazy's going on here… but I know you're out there doing all you can, Minato… So, I won't lose my cool, either. You taught me that."

"Because you gave me hope…" Chihiro clenched her fists, "I'll be alright! So please, hang in there…!"

A static-filled image appeared next for the blue-haired Fool and he vaguely made out Toriumi's silhouette. "Oh god, this can't be happening!" the woman shook her head. "I wish I could talk to him, and calm myself down… I don't even know what he looks like, but I hope he's okay… He has to be… I can feel it."

Keisuke smirked. "Minato-kun… I know you're trying to stay focused… You were there when I needed you… I hope I can do the same…"

"Hey, Minato…" Yuko tried to smile. "Can you believe what's going on? I know you must be doing everything you can, so I will too!"

Mamoru smirked as best as he could. "I'll take on any challenge that comes my way, without complaining about it… You taught me that, Minato… I bet you're fighting right now too, huh…"

"You saved me, Minato," Nozomi rubbed his eyes. "I was so blind before… I'm sure you've got things under control, right? You always do."

Hamuko smiled as she counted up the many friends her brother was able to make for himself this year, but there were still many more they made together as she made out Hidetoshi's voice calling out to them. "I know you're facing a difficult task…" he smirked. "But, I truly believe that you both can overcome any obstacle."

"Something frightful's going on…" Bunkichi mused, "but we won't give up."

Mitsuko nodded her head in agreement with her husband. "That's right, dear… Hamuko-chan and Minato-chan wouldn't want us to lose hope…"

Maiko bravely smiled as she gazed up at them. "Everyone else is scared, but not me… You both showed me how to be tough! I won't give up."

"Hamuko-sama… Minato-sama… 'ow are you doing?" Bebe frowned as he missed his dear friends. "I 'ope you are okay… I am 'ere for you… like you both were zere for me!"

"What on earth made me think of you at a time like this…?" Tanaka frowned to himself. After a while, he crossed his arms and smirked. "Well, I suppose you both did teach me a thing or two about loyalty…"

Mutatsu laughed as boastfully as he could. "You two must be fightin' the good fight right about now… Well, you taught me that runnin' away never solves nothin'… so I'm here for ya, kids."

Akinari lifted his resolute gaze as he sensed his two friends facing Death. "I know I'm not the only one who's suffered… The both of you have endured a lot, too… But, you can't just give up… You taught me that."

Igor's smile grew as the twins' resolve strengthened. "Can you hear them? These are the voices of hope that wish to help you… Separately, they are weak… But together, they will bring about a great change in you. Now is the time to draw on the true strength of the bonds you have forged!" The Cipher's Mask glowed as if responding to Igor's words.

The twins clenched their fists and grabbed the Cipher's Mask together. "Everyone…" Minato muttered.

"Thank you so much…!" Hamuko cried.

They didn't flinch as Thanatos and two other Personas emerged behind them. Casting a look over their shoulders, the twins smirked as both Orpheus returned. The Reaper Persona let out a roar before combining with the twin Personas to form a brilliantly shining star. The twins channeled the resultant light into the Cipher's Mask and watched as a new card appeared before them.

Igor stared at it in amazement. "I never dreamed of seeing that card with my own eyes…" He carefully caught the blank card and smirked at his invaluable guests. "This is indeed a surprise… Behold the last power you and I shall unveil…" The master of the Velvet Room raised the white card into the air as he helped to unlock their final Personas. "It is the power to bring about a new beginning, or the ultimate end. It may be possible now, with this newfound power… You may be able to defeat the one who cannot be defeated." He returned the blank card to the twins and they did not hesitate in accepting it. "What you have in your hands is the power of the Universe…"

Hamuko flinched as a new Persona emerged before her. It resembled Orpheus but its hair was short, much like Minato's Orpheus, and its body was crimson red. _"Thou art I and I am thou,"_ the Persona nodded to her. _"From the seas of thy souls, I cometh. I am Orpheos Telos, the reborn master of strings and wielder of endless possibilities. From the vast nothingness of the Universe, I will give you the miracle you seek and have it echo for all eternity."_

Minato faced his new Persona that also resembled Orpheus, but its left arm was chained to the same coffin lids Thanatos used to carry. This new Persona reeked of both life and death yet it stood tall before the blue-haired boy. _"Thou art I and I am thou,"_ it spoke in a dignified manner. _"From the seas of thy souls, I cometh. I am Messiah, the ultimate savior. Using your brilliant light, I will shine your hope onto the Universe for all to see."_

Both Personas returned to the Cipher's Mask, shattering it in two. Both portions of the mask returned to the twins and Hamuko calmly studied hers. The right half of the colorless visor reflected her face before she made out Orpheus Telos's image staring back at her. Looking over to her brother, she noticed his half reflected Messiah's face. She reached a hand towards Minato and gave him a smile as they felt the elevator slow to a stop. Minato smiled back at her before they both turned towards Igor. The long-nosed man bowed his head to them out of respect. "Nothing is outside the realm of possibility for you now," he told them.

The metal grating behind them screeched as it slowly opened and they turned to face the exit. Elizabeth and Theodore smiled at them and bowed. "We have reached your destination," they stated.

The twins stared at the bright light awaiting them but their faces were serene. Igor smiled as he could feel the strange mixture of emotions within them. "It seems that, in addition to Death, fate has also dealt you the wild card. You must accept your destiny," he urged them on. "Our contracts have been fulfilled… I have completed my role as well. You were truly remarkable guests…"

The twins tightly held onto each other's hands as they both stepped out of the Velvet Room. Once more, they found themselves on top of Tartarus, underneath the moon that was continuously releasing intense waves of power in the hopes of crushing them. They didn't know when they had gotten up, but the two stood tall as they faced their fate. Their friends looked up at the twins in surprise.

Yukari shook her head as she tried to get back up too. "How… can you move…!?" she asked the leaders.

Fuuka let out an exhausted gasp as she couldn't support Juno any longer. The navigator finally collapsed to the ground and looked up at them. "M-minato-kun…? Hamuko-chan…?"

Minato gave her a very apologetic but extremely grateful smile. "We'll always be connected, Fuuka…" he quietly told the navigator with a nod.

Hamuko tried to give her friend a bright smirk as the two of them began rising towards the moon. "Thank you… for always supporting us."

"W-wait…!" Fuuka's brown eyes widened as she noticed the strange masks in their hands. Even without Juno, she could sense the power contained within them. "Minato-kun! Hamuko-chan!"

Akihiko watched as the twins continued to rise into the air. "What the!?" His grey eyes filled with concern. "Hamuko…! Minato…! Are you going to go alone!?"

Aigis shook her head as she tried to get up. "No, don't go!" she cried out to them when she found she still couldn't move.

Everyone struggled to rise, but found it impossible. Yukari began to shake. "No way… Why!?" She pushed against the floor with all her might. "What are they doing?"

"Dammit," Junpei clenched his fists. "Why the hell can't we stand up?"

Fuuka tried once more to call out to the stubborn twins. "Why, after all we've been through…" She could feel tears falling down her face. "Stop, don't do this! Come back!"

"Urgh…" Junpei glared at his unresponsive body. "Dammit!"

"We said, WAIT!" Yukari screamed but it was too late as the twins were already gone. "Come back, you idiots!"

Upon entering the moon, Minato stared at the strange egg-shaped object in the center of the cavern as Hamuko let go of his hand. The brunette glared at the troublesome thing. "So that must be the real Nyx," she smirked.

"Let's finish this," Minato nodded as he lifted his mask up to his face. Before he got a chance to put it on though, the orb unleashed a powerful attack. Not expecting Nyx to retaliate, the twins dropped their masks as they were both knocked down. "Hamuko!"

"Minato!" Hamuko winced as she sensed the attack should have outright killed them. The fact that it didn't meant that their luck hadn't quite run dry just yet. _No… It's not luck… We still have our friends behind us…_ "Everyone…" she struggled to stand up. "Please give us strength!"

As if responding to her wish, Ken's voice began to echo through the cavern. _"There's nothing we can do!?"_ the boy cried out in panic.

 _"Don't give up!"_ Akihiko scolded him. _"We have to believe in them!"_

 _"Give them strength!"_ Mitsuru boldly called out to SEES. _"Take my life if you must!"_

Hamuko and Minato smiled as they suddenly found the strength to get back up. In an attempt to finish them off, Nyx bombarded the siblings again with Death. The twins dodged out of the way this time and watched as the Cipher's Mask was tossed into the air by the explosion.

"Hamuko! We need to grab them!" Minato called out to his sister.

"Right!" Hamuko frantically reached for both pieces.

 _"Yeah,"_ Yukari smirked as she agreed with Mitsuru, _"I'm willing to risk mine too!"_

 _"They're going to face it all by themselves!"_ Fuuka worriedly frowned.

 _"No, they're not alone!"_ Junpei adamantly shook his head. _"I won't let them die!"_

Hamuko felt another burst of power fill her as she managed to snatch both halves of the Cipher's Mask out of the air. "Minato, I've got them!"

"Watch out!" her brother cried as Nyx tried to use Death again. He protectively shielded Hamuko as best as he could but noticed the attack didn't harm them at all. The brunette quickly tossed him a mask and the siblings smiled to each other as they quickly got into position for one last Fusion Spell.

Koromaru growled and barked, hoping his voice would reach them.

Aigis called out too. _"I won't allow this world to be destroyed!"_

Hamuko lifted the left half of the mask to her face but paused as she heard a familiar gruff voice whisper in her ear. _"Alright, let's do this…"_

"Shinji-kun…" the brunette smiled as tears streamed down her face. She didn't bother wiping them off before raising her right pointer finger into the air.

After securing the mask onto his own face, Minato lifted his left arm up and grabbed his sister's hand. "Everyone's with us…" He took a deep breath. "Are you ready, Hamuko?"

"Always, Minato," she nodded as she focused on calling their most powerful Personas.

"Persona!" The two them called out together, summoning Messiah and Orpheus Telos behind them. "Final Fusion Spell!" Their eyes flashed with determination as power continued to swell within them. "Great Seal!" A bright light erupted within the cramped space, shattering the Cipher's Mask, but neither twin flinched. They serenely smiled to themselves as the radiance of their spell engulfed them. "Everyone…"

Hamuko's red eyes reflected the shining white light. "Thank you…"

"We're sorry…" Minato's blue eyes gleamed in the darkness that soon followed.

* * *

Yukari flinched as everything went white. After a while, everything turned black. She opened her eyes and blinked when it look like she was floating in space. "Where are we…?" she asked with a frown.

"Did Nyx create this place?" Mitsuru looked around. "Or, was it them?"

"Are they alright, Fuuka!?" Akihiko worriedly asked. "What happened!?"

"Everything was engulfed by a bright light…" the navigator began to shake as she desperately searched for their leaders. "I don't sense them."

Ken let out a shaky breath. "Don't tell me they…"

"No!" Junpei angrily cried out. "That can't be! Try again! They can't be the only one…!" He turned towards Fuuka and saw the girl was crying as she shook her head at him. "You gotta be kidding me…"

"Dammit…" Akihiko clenched his fists. "Not again…!"

Mitsuru shook her head at him. "We all decided to put our lives on the line…" she stated. "In fact, we came here knowing we would most likely die."

"How could I be so powerless…?" Aigis asked herself. "This is what I was trying to prevent!"

"You're there, aren't you!?" Yukari called out into the expansive darkness. "I know you are! I refuse to believe that you're both gone! Answer me! I know you can hear me!"

Aigis quickly joined her. "We're here! Please let us here your voices!"

"Don't worry," a familiar voice told them. It was remarkably similar to Minato's voice but there was still no sign of either twin at all.

Akihiko frowned as that meant it could only belong to a certain raven-haired Shadow. "That voice…!?"

"I will sleep once again," the voice told them. "Normal days will return to this universe, for you… and for them." Everyone became relieved at that. "They've found the answer to life's greatest question," the voice continued. "It just happened a bit sooner than it will for the rest of you."

"Life's greatest question…" Aigis mused.

"Aigis…" the voice called out to her. "You'll find the answer one day as well. You, too, are a precious living thing… You just need to realize how the bonds of friendship have changed you… The Dark Hour will soon vanish from this world… All will truly be relinquished from its dominion, and the legacy of life will continue. Congratulations, you have the miracle you sought. We shall meet again someday…"

All of SEES flinched as they suddenly reappeared at the foot of Tartarus. Yukari frowned as she was trying to gather her bearings. "Where is this…? Huh?" She blinked when she saw the familiar doors leading into the tower. "The entrance to Tartarus…? When did we…?" Her brown eyes widened. "Wait, look!"

The bells chimed as the tower suddenly broke apart, vanishing into the night. Junpei shook his head in disbelief. "H-hey, check out Tartarus…!"

"It's disintegrating…" Mitsuru stated, "disappearing into the sky…" She and Akihiko shared a small smile as they finally accomplished their goal of ending the Dark Hour.

"At last…" Yukari sighed in relief, "the school's finally gonna be back to normal…"

"It's over…" Mitsuru nodded.

Aigis looked around and spotted two figures approaching them from what used to be Tartarus's lobby. "Ah…!" she cried out. "Look…! Hamuko-san…! Minato-san…!"

"They came back…" Yukari smiled as the entire team ran towards them.

Hamuko fell into Aigis when she found she no longer had the strength to stand. "Everyone…" the red-eyed brunette smiled as she took in their relieved faces. "We're back…" she weakly laughed as Aigis set her down on the ground.

"Minato-kun…" Fuuka gently did the same with the blue-haired boy, letting him rest his head against her. "Thank goodness…" She suddenly began crying into his chest.

Minato lifted his hand and placed it on the girl's head. "It's alright, Fuuka… We're here now…"

"You sure took your time!" Junpei smirked at the two. "You were really stringing us along there!" He let out a shaky laugh and pulled his cap down over his eyes. "Honestly…!" his voice cracked.

"You both scared me…" Ken frowned. "I-I thought we might not ever see you again…"

"Guys, c'mon," Akihiko rubbed his eyes. "This isn't something we should be crying about…"

Ken tried to blink back his tears but failed. "Look who's talking…" he laughed and sobbed at the same time.

"Finally…" Mitsuru's lip quivered as she tried to smile, "the gang's all here."

Koromaru happily barked as he noticed water streaming down Aigis's face. The robot smiled down at the twins. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Huh…?" She reached a hand up to her wet cheeks. "I…" She didn't really understand it herself but the twins gently smiled for her. "Uh-oh… They won't stop… T-this is most unusual…" the blonde girl tried to laugh.

Hamuko did her best to wipe up some of the robot's tears before looking over to her brother. Minato ran his hand through Fuuka's hair, hoping to calm her down as the navigator continued to cry into him. The older brother looked towards Hamuko too and both shared a peaceful smile with each other.

They looked up at the full moon and took in their victory. By an unexpected miracle, the twins had saved the world from the Fall. Peace will finally be restored to the city they love and the people living there would be able to resume their busy lives. Even if no one remembered anything about the extraordinary turn of events, the twins were completely okay with that. They had secured a future for their friends after all. Even as the seasons changed, the twins would never forget the night they embraced the Universe and their fate.

* * *

 **Final Notes:** It's such a satisfying feeling beating Nyx... The scripted part to me is also a lot better here than in 4. I like in 4 how your team consistently pushes Yu out of the way to save him, but Myriad Truths doesn't have the same oomph as Great Seal... I forget if Yu channels the Investigation Team for it but hell... Shinjiro even came back in spirit to help give them the strength to perform Great Seal. Also... When I was playing FES, I ended up getting Minato to level 99 and everyone else was in the 90s so wanting a challenge, I fought Nyx Avatar alone. Like in the movie. It was pretty fun and cool despite me only just using Opheus Telos to Mind Charge Morning Star the shit out of Nyx Avatar. Tomorrow everything will end... It'll be an extremely short chapter, but... it's fine, isn't it? Gotta give it time to let the miracle sink in...


	52. Memento Mori

**Author's Notes:** And here it is. The final chapter... I had a lot of fun doing this story. In the very beginning, I said this was my coping mechanism for the game so no matter what happened, I think I'll finally be okay with how the game really ended. Maybe... It's still painful but... I actually grew to like all the characters despite me initially disliking half the cast. SEES might not be as tightly knit as the Investigation Team, but they are still friends.

* * *

~3 MARCH 2010~

"Yo!" Junpei brightly smiled as he ran to catch up to his friends. The twins turned around with smirks on their faces as they waited for him by the school gate. "Damn, it's cold. But of course, you two never miss a day of school. Man, can ya believe this year's already over? We're practically seniors now. Just one more year…" He looked up to the sky with a pensive frown on his face. "Ya think anything interesting will happen?"

"Definitely," Minato smirked as he looked up at the bright sky.

"I'm sure it will," Hamuko nodded and let out a light laugh.

"I hope you're both right," Junpei smiled at his optimistic friends before noticing a group of burnt out upperclassmen dragging themselves to school. "But, seeing the current seniors makes me wonder… Seems like all they frickin' do is study. Talk about boring. Is that gonna be us next year?"

"I would hope so," Minato dryly told him. "Some of us have futures to prepare for." He nodded towards his sister. "You wouldn't want to know that your physician failed high school, would you?"

"Hey!" Hamuko frowned at her brother. "Who's been scoring first in every exam, huh?"

"You can't really say that to me if you and I tie for first each time," the blue-haired boy plainly stated. "Anyways, you'd better shape up, Junpei," he warned their friend. "It wouldn't feel right for us to graduate without you."

Junpei smirked at the cheeky junior. "No worries, dude. I got through this year with your help, didn't I?" He thought back to the times Minato tutored him whenever he needed it. He paused as he vaguely remembered another person helping, another honor student who he had been friends with. "Huh… Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?"

Minato and Hamuko shared a knowing frown with each other before the brunette quickly changed the topic. "Hey, let's get going. We don't want to be late for class."

Junpei shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, you're right." The three of them continued forward before they noticed a blonde girl standing next to a tree, watching them. "Hey, is that girl looking at us?" the tall junior asked with a bright smirk. "Dude, she's pretty cute! How come I never noticed her before?"

"What are you talking about?" Yukari asked as she came up to them from behind. "She lives in the same dorm as us."

"Seriously!?" he straightened up to try to get a better look at the blonde. "Uh… What's her name, then?"

"I dunno," the brunette shrugged.

"So then, why're you giving me a hard time?" Junpei frowned at her.

"You both are hopeless," Minato sighed.

"What? Do you know who she is?" the capped boy asked him.

"That's Aigis," Hamuko told him. "She sits next to me in class. She's pretty quiet and keeps to herself a lot so it's no wonder you both don't know her. Nii-san and I tried a few times to talk her but she tends to always run away from us as soon as we try."

"Is she scared of the Gekkoukan Hellhound?" Yukari smirked at the frowning blue-haired boy.

"I'm not that scary…" Minato muttered.

"Maybe she's just shy," Junpei shrugged. He shook his head as he decided to just leave the blonde girl alone. "Anyway, it's always crazy in the dorms this time of year, with so many people coming and going. Oh yeah, did ya hear? Akihiko-senpai's movin' out. Ya know, the Captain of the boxing team?"

"I know who he is," Yukari nodded, "but I haven't really talked to him. Of course, all the graduates are leaving, even Kirijo-senpai."

"Ms. Student Council President…" Junpei whistled. "She's in our dorm too, huh?" He looked over towards Minato. "Hey… isn't there another girl living with us in the dorm?"

"Fuuka Yamagishi from class 2-E," Minato answered with a nod. "She's in Photography Club with me."

"Aren't you in the Student Council too?" Junpei frowned as the blue-haired boy simply nodded in response. "That means you know Kirijo-senpai!" He chuckled at his popular friend. "C'mon, you gotta introduce me to some of your friends sometime… They're all pretty cute."

"It's because they're my friends that I don't," the overprotective Hellhound smirked at him.

"At least introduce me to Aigis then," the taller junior shook his head.

Hamuko shook her head at him. "I just said she tends to keep to herself. Leave her alone, Junpei."

"Um… That's kinda hard to do if she's following us," her best friend pointed out. Hamuko took a look back over her shoulder and realized he was right.

"Man, what's up with that girl?" Yukari wondered aloud. She turned around and waved at the blonde. "Hey, there! Are you looking at us? Is something wrong?"

"Um…" Aigis tensed up as the four juniors stared at her. "It's nothing," she quickly shook her head. She quickly ran past them, towards the school.

"Aigis!" Hamuko called out to her. "Wait!" The red-eyed girl frowned when the robot didn't even turn back to look at her. "Ai-chan…"

Junpei frowned as he watched their strange classmate disappear. "She looks kinda depressed, doesn't she?" He blinked a few times before smirking. "Wait, do ya think she might be interested in me!?"

Yukari laughed at the simple junior. "I doubt it."

"Ouch. That hurts," the capped boy sighed. "By the way, Yuka-tan…" He stared at the brunette for a while before shaking his head. "Uh… Never mind. Forget it."

"Aw, come on now…" Yukari smirked at him. "Don't gimme that."

"Um, well…" the capped boy knit his eyebrows together. "Do you remember how we became friends? I mean, don't take it the wrong way. I was just thinking…"

"Well, it's not like we're best friends or anything," Yukari shrugged, "so I guess it just kinda happened."

"Yeah, I guess so," Junpei smiled.

Yukari paused as she began to wonder about their friendship too. "It IS kinda weird, actually, now that I think about it. But, I can't really explain why. Anyway, that girl—" the first bell suddenly rang, causing the juniors to tense up.

"Oh crap!" Junpei took off towards the building with the other three right behind him.

* * *

~5 MARCH 2010~

Minato let himself into his sister's room and saw she was still in bed. He smirked as he gently shook her awake. "Time to get up, Hamuko."

"Can't I sleep in a little longer?" Hamuko slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I'm so tired…"

"And I'm not?" Minato sighed as he walked over to a window and pulled open a curtain. "Come on," he told her as he looked towards Gekkoukan. "It's Graduation today…"

The brunette paused at that. "Y-yeah…" She threw her blankets off of her and proceeded to change into her uniform. Hamuko looked towards her brother and noticed he was absently playing with his headphones as he continued scanning the city. "Nii-san?" she tentatively got his attention. Minato nodded but didn't turn his head. "I'm sure Fuuka-chan still loves you… Even if she can't remember it, I know she hasn't forgotten."

The blue-haired boy sadly looked down at his speakers. "I know… That's not what's bothering me…"

"Then what's wrong?" Hamuko asked him as she brushed her hair.

"I wonder… if she knows that I love her…"

"She still has your locket," the brunette pointed out as she tied her hair up in her usual fashion. "She hasn't taken it off and she knows how much it means to you. It's your proof to her that you're both always connected."

Minato wryly smiled at that. "She might understand it's important, but I'm certain she's forgotten its true meaning." He slowly turned to face his sister as she began brushing her teeth. "I spoke to her yesterday after visiting the infirmary. Fuuka thinks it's just a necklace… I wanted to correct her and remind her of the picture inside… but…" The blue-haired boy shook his head. "I couldn't bring myself to do it… If I made her remember, she probably would have sensed something was wrong."

"So you're going to do the same exact thing Shinji-kun did to me…" Hamuko sighed as she looked over at her wristwatch. "You're not going to let her say goodbye…"

"Would you have been able to let her if you were in my position?" Minato asked the girl.

Hamuko shook her head as she knew she was the same as him. "No… I've been lying to everyone too after all…" She hugged herself as she remembered all of the empty promises they made with all of their friends to hang out in the future. "Do you still want to wait for them?"

"Yeah," Minato nodded. "Even if they don't come, I want to go… We made a promise after all…"

"This'll also be the last time the two of us will be able to share the scene on the roof with them…" Hamuko noted. "And even if they aren't there, I'll still be there with you…"

Her brother smiled at her. "We're in this together to the very end."

A smile also appeared on Hamuko's face as they fell silent again. She lifted her gaze to look at her brother. "Minato?" He patiently nodded. "I want to thank you… for being born with me. Out of all the people who could have been my twin brother, I'm glad it was you…"

Minato's blue eyes softened as he stared at his younger sister. "Hamuko…"

She shook her head at him as she realized he was at a loss for words. "You don't have to say anything. I know you, Minato." The brunette softly smiled at her most important person. "No matter what happens… we'll always be a part of each other. Our Personas are proof of that." She wrapped her arms around her older brother and pressed her ear against his chest to listen to the familiar rhythm of his gentle heartbeats. "I love you, nii-san…" she mumbled into his shirt.

Minato hugged her back, placing a hand on her head. "I love you too, sis. From the moment we were born to the moment we die, I'll always love you."

Hamuko nodded in understanding before reluctantly letting him go. She checked her watch for the time but paused when someone knocked on her bedroom door. The twins looked to each other in confusion before a voice called out to them. "It's me, Aigis," the robot told them. "May I please come in?"

Minato carefully approached the door and opened it up a little. When he saw Aigis's expression brighten, he let her in. "Aigis…"

"Thank goodness," the blonde girl smiled at them in relief. "I'm so happy to see you again… I'm sorry to show up so suddenly after avoiding you both all this time…" she lowered her gaze. "But… I really needed to talk to you."

"We do too…" Hamuko nodded, glad that the robot finally came to speak with them.

"I remember everything," Aigis told them. "Everyone else still seems to have forgotten, but I remember… That day, we…" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Don't cry…" Minato shook his head at her. "Everything's okay now," he gently stated.

"I'm sorry…" the blonde quickly wiped away her tears. "It's just that, when I remembered…" She began shaking as she remembered the twins' actions. "I was afraid you might go somewhere far away, like you did at the last battle…" The two siblings knowingly glanced at each other but remained silent. Aigis studied Hamuko's room absently before she noticed the open curtains. The robot could spot Gekkoukan in the distance. "Graduation's today, isn't it?" she asked. "I'm sorry… The ceremony's already begun… Such nice weather outside…" She quickly turned towards the twins. "Do you remember? The promise we all made? Why don't we go there and wait for the others…? We can enjoy the view of this peaceful city…"

Hamuko nodded her head as she grabbed the two juniors' hands. "Let's go…" she smiled at them.

* * *

Fuuka curiously glanced at the rows behind her to skim Class 2-F but she couldn't find Minato or Hamuko anywhere within the audience. She frowned as it wasn't like the twins to purposefully ditch such an important event. But then again, the teal-haired girl had noticed they had been looking sick lately. Actually, the whole school noticed but the twins had dismissed everyone's worries. Despite their kind smiles, Fuuka felt there was something more to it but she didn't know what. It must have had something to do with the way Minato had been looking at her the last time they spoke.

 _His eyes were so sad…_ the girl thought to herself as she absently grabbed her necklace. _It hurt to see him that way… He wanted to tell me something, but… I wonder what it was…_ Fuuka studied the silver charm and ran her thumb over the smooth circular surface. _Huh?_ She blinked as something about the circular portion of the sun bothered her. She wanted to look into it but some feedback on stage made her jump.

"Sorry about that," the class representative spoke into the microphone before returning to her speech. The student shook her head as she smiled at the graduating class. "The time to part has finally come. Though this is our last day together, we want the senior class to know that you've truly earned our respect. We wish each of you good health, happiness, and prosperity. On this auspicious occasion, I bid you all a fond farewell on behalf of the student body." The student bowed before walking offstage as the audience applauded.

Fuuka didn't put down her charm as she clapped but as soon as a teacher went on stage, she returned her attention back to her necklace. _This isn't just a necklace, is it? Minato-kun gave it to me because it was important to him… He told me it was proof… But of what?_

"Next, a word from our valedictorian…" Fuuka heard the teacher say. "From Class D, Mitsuru Kirijo."

"Thank you," Mitsuru nodded as she took the podium.

 _Kirijo-senpai…_ Fuuka watched the older girl curiously. _I didn't really interact with her much in the dorm… But didn't she and Minato-kun help to handle my transfer to the building?_ The junior frowned to herself. _All of us in the dorm… We went somewhere together, didn't we?_ She continued to rub her thumb against her necklace as Mitsuru began her speech.

"This last year," the Student Council President confidently addressed the school, "I accepted an important responsibility as Student Council President. When I first addressed you from this podium, I spoke to you all about seizing opportunity while you had the chance… Well," she wore a sad smile, "it must have been fate that intervened and gave me an important reminder of this… As many of you may know, my father unexpectedly…" she paused for a moment in hesitation. A frown appeared on her face but she forced herself to continue. "He unexpectedly passed away, due to sudden illness…" She stopped herself again and held a hand to her head. "Sudden illness…?"

Fuuka frowned as something about that sounded inaccurate. _No… Wasn't he…?_ The teal-haired girl remembered standing on top of a roof where a gunshot loudly echoed in the night.

The entire school body began murmuring about Mitsuru's strange behavior. "Wow, that's rare. I've never heard her stumble in a speech before."

"It's a big day… It must be tough thinking about her father."

Fuuka's frown deepened. _Takeharu Kirijo… I met him before… With Kirijo-senpai, Hamuko-chan, Minato-kun, and… others… We had all gone somewhere together…_ She looked down at her locket once more and her brown eyes widened as she quickly opened it to look at the picture she had taken with Minato on Yakushima. "I… We…!" Fuuka quickly stood from her seat as she realized where Minato and Hamuko were. "Minato-kun!" she cried out as she forced herself to the edge of her row.

"Yamagishi!" Ekoda frowned at his most troublesome student. "Where are you going!? Get back in your seat! I'll never hear the end of this!"

Mitsuru blinked at the teal-haired junior as the younger girl quickly disappeared out of the auditorium. _Yamagishi…?_ Her red eyes widened as she scanned the rest of the audience. She managed to spot her friends and a smile appeared on her face as she locked eyes with Akihiko.

The boxer smirked as he stood up from his seat too. "Mitsuru…!"

"Huh…?" Yukari turned her eyes away from the junior who just ran out of the building and towards the white-haired senior. After a while, her brown eyes gleamed in recognition. "Wait… Wasn't I supposed to…?"

Junpei blinked at the archer beside him before a smile grew on his face. "That's right…" he nodded as the two of them were on their feet. "I remember now! Our promise…!"

Mitsuru smiled at the three of them as she continued. "I remember… Yes… Upon my father's death, I lost my purpose and was set adrift in life… But now I have something to live for. No longer will I run from the future. I will face it head on, in memory of my father's will. I am resolved; free from doubt or hesitation!" she bravely declared. "This is because…" she smiled at the others as they fought their ways out of the audience. "It is because I have such wonderful, such priceless friends… And we have promised to never lose hope, no matter what tomorrow may bring!" After shouting that, the Student Council President leapt down from the stage to join the others waiting for her.

The entire school was in an uproar but the members of Iwatodai Dormitory's Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad didn't care. Yukari smiled at the red-haired senior. "Senpai…! We remember about them and Aigis…! We also made a promise. Let's go find them!"

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded as they started for the exit together. "I can hardly wait. Everyone, let's go!"

* * *

Hamuko smiled at the warm sunlight and gentle wind as she lay on the bench. Her head was rested in Aigis's lap and she looked over towards the fence barricade where her brother patiently stood. He had been afraid that if he lay down too, he'd miss the others once they finally arrived. The brunette fought the frown that threatened to appear on her face as she continued to study her older brother. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as another breeze lightly swept over the roof.

"The wind feels so nice…" Aigis serenely smiled. "This is my first time experiencing spring. But, this season will eventually pass…" She sadly looked down at Hamuko. "After fighting alongside you and facing the world's end… I finally began to understand… what it means to live…"

Fighting against his fatigue, Minato lifted his gaze towards both girls. "You have?"

Aigis nodded to him. "Thinking for yourself… Not running away… Accepting the inevitable… All things eventually come to an end… Every living thing will one day disappear… Only by accepting this can one discover what they truly want… What the meaning of their life will be…"

 _That's right,_ Hamuko painfully smiled. _Nii-san… Ai-chan... No… Minato… Aigis… I'm glad you both saved me back then… I was able to live a full life thanks to your choices… but this time, it's my turn to make a choice…_

"I understand now why I was so tormented by my lack of strength," Aigis frowned to herself. "Protecting others became more than just an order I had to obey. I wanted to do it for my own reasons… I realized this once I decided to try and prevent the Fall. When I thought I might never see you both again, something else became clear to me—what I wanted most. And so," the robot nodded, "I made up my mind. I decided that I would continue to protect you. I want to be your strength."

 _I'll protect you both too… I owe you both this much for devoting so much of your lives to me… I know this isn't what either of you want, but please try to understand… I wasn't meant to have this life in the first place… I'm just returning what rightfully belongs to you, Minato…_

"I know I'm not the only one who can do this…" Aigis watched as Minato absently fiddled with his headphones, "but that's okay. My life will be worth living if it's for this reason…" Tears began filling her eyes. "Thank you…"

"Please don't cry, Aigis," Minato frowned at the ground.

Hamuko nodded in agreement as she wiped up the other girl's tears. "If you do, we'll cry too…" _This isn't an easy decision because I want to live… But, Minato… I want you to live more… That's why I stole Messiah's mask from you… I won't ask for your forgiveness, but just know that I don't want you to be like Orpheus too… Don't come after me or throw your life away after I'm gone… Please, Minato… Your life is worth so much more… If only you'd give yourself the chance to realize that…_

"You're right." Aigis blinked her tears away. "What am I doing? I understand now, so I should be happy…"

"Minato-kun…!" a voice from inside the school called out to the blue-haired boy, making him tense up.

"Fuuka…?" Minato hesitated a bit but he soon straightened himself up when the door to the roof opened. The teal-haired girl stopped running as soon as she stumbled out onto the roof. Fuuka heavily coughed as she tried to catch her breath prompting the blue-haired junior to worriedly get to her side. "Fuuka!"

 _Fuuka-chan…_ Hamuko smiled as her friend let out a surprised squeak when Minato hugged her. _No… Fuuka… Take care of my brother… I know he can be a little awkward, overprotective, and problematic at times. In fact, he's not very good at expressing himself and he tends to be reckless with his own life. If you compliment him, he takes it as permission to go overboard with his actions but, despite his flaws, he's the best big brother in the entire Universe. This is something I can only ask of you, Fuuka, because I know you'll be the perfect partner for him. After all, you loved him from the very beginning, even if you didn't know it then…_

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka brightly smiled at the exhausted boy. "I… I remember it all now! How we fought with our lives at stake… the miracle that happened…" she looked up into his blue eyes. "And… who was dearest to me during it all…!" She buried her face into his chest. "I'm sorry…! I'm sorry I forgot!"

Minato protectively tightened his embrace around her. "It's alright, Fuuka. You don't have to apologize… It wasn't your fault…!"

"Oh, thank goodness I remembered…!" Sad fear filled her brown eyes as she remembered what she had sensed from the mask Minato had been holding. "But when I did, I got scared… that you wouldn't be here anymore…"

The boy gently shushed her before squeezing her in his arms again, not wanting to let her go. "No… Please don't say that… We're together now and that's what matters most," he softly murmured to her.

She giggled as he tenderly pulled her closer to his body. "You're so warm…" Fuuka rested her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "I'm right here with you…" she reassured him.

"I love you so much, Fuuka…" Minato whispered.

 _He might not know it and if he does, he'll never admit it to himself, but he loves you more than even me, Fuuka. I should be jealous, but I'm actually really relieved to know that he finally learned to open up his heart to those around him. You're the one to teach him that so I'm glad he fell in love with a person whose heart is just as strong as his is, if not stronger… If he had fallen for someone like me… he'd only hurt himself in the end… so please… Keep supporting him… Make sure he never loses his way in life… He's my most important person after all and what I want most is for him to be happy… And with you always connected to him, I know he'll never be alone… Fuuka… Please, please,_ please! _Take good care of him for me…_

The two juniors let go of each other when they heard footsteps in the distance. "Do you hear that?" Fuuka asked Minato with a smile. "Everyone else is here too…"

"Everyone…" Aigis smiled as the footsteps grew louder as they got closer. The robot nodded as she looked back down at Hamuko. "I realize now that I have friends as well. You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life… Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of. I'll keep on living no matter what, so that I can protect you all…"

 _That's right, Aigis… You're not alone either… Watch over everyone for me, will you? I'm entrusting my Orpheus to you… We're the same after all… We weren't supposed to live but because we are alive, please know that all life is precious. I want you to live your life to the fullest just like I did, so treasure the time you have with everyone. They'll go away one day too, but so long as you have my first Persona, you'll never have to be alone either. Me leaving will hurt, but I believe in you and your heart. I've always believed in you and your heart so don't ever give up searching for your answer, Aigis… I look forward to how far you'll be able to grow with Orpheus at your side now that your life's journey has only just begun._

"Thank you for everything…" Aigis nodded to Hamuko. "You're tired, aren't you?" she noticed. "You can close your eyes. I'll always remain here by your side."

"I'll be alright, Aigis," Hamuko smiled as she turned her head towards the door. _I know that if I close my eyes now, I'll never open them again… But it's time I let Minato go and live out the rest of his own life… Orpheus Telos… Messiah… Thanatos… You all solely belong to him now… I won't need you where I'm going… Thanks for always connecting the two of us together all this time… I'm ready to go now…_

"How about you, Minato-kun?" Fuuka worriedly asked the blue-haired boy as the two of them walked over to Hamuko's side. "Would you like to lie down also?" She lowered her gaze. "It's alright if you do, Minato-kun… I… I'll be right here with you…"

Minato shook his head. "For some reason… I'm not as exhausted anymore…" he frowned as he felt something wasn't quite right.

"Maybe it's because Fuuka is here?" Hamuko weakly laughed as she looked over towards the teal-haired girl. Fuuka's eyes widened as she sensed what was going on but the weak junior quickly cast her friend a kind smile. _Fuuka… I fully entrust Minato to you…_ she silently told the navigator.

"Hamuko-chan…?" Fuuka frowned but nodded anyways as she sadly understood the brunette's wishes.

"Hamuko…" Minato knit his eyebrows together as he stared at his tired twin in slight confusion.

"Don't worry," Aigis told the worrisome boy. "I'll always protect you both."

"That's right, Minato…" Hamuko reached a hand for her brother's and he gently accepted it. "You don't have to worry anymore…" She spotted the others as they finally made it to the rooftop. "Because we're not alone…"

"No," Minato nodded in agreement as he looked up towards their friends. "We're not…" his voice was meek and quiet as he realized what was happening.

"Hey!" Junpei waved his arm in the air as he ran towards them with a wide grin on his face.

"We're finally here!" Yukari nodded.

"Sorry, we're late!" Akihiko smirked.

"Yes, we left the ceremony as soon as we realized you were here waiting for us," Mitsuru humorously smiled.

Koromaru barked and Ken laughed. "Koromaru and I ran all the way from the shrine, but it looks like we're all together now!"

Hamuko took in everybody's happy faces before glancing up once more at her brother. His blue eyes brightly gleamed with tears but he was genuinely smiling. He squeezed his sister's hand and looked down at her with such a bittersweet expression. "Hamuko…!" his voice cracked.

"Minato…" the brunette nodded up to him as she understood what it was he wanted to say but couldn't. _I love you too… Thank you for everything, my dearest brother…_ She continued to gaze into his navy eyes and noticed a glowing red butterfly reflected in them. Her body began to relax as her crimson eyes slowly closed. Hamuko noticed another beautiful butterfly, a blue one, flutter across her fading vision. With the last of her strength, she whispered to Minato one more thing she wanted her twin brother to always remember. "I'll always be with you…"

* * *

 **Final Notes:** ...Did the ending come as a surprise? I hope it did... I left subtle hints here and there about who would die though... Very subtle... I just thought... that it would be fitting since Shinjiro is also gone... and Minato finally found his resolve to live. In the end, Hamuko was the more selfish of the two and took on her brother's role as Messiah... And with that, the twins' journey has come to a close. As for Aigis's answer... Yeah... I need to finish the second half of that scenario then work out a reasonable outline. I also need to figure out how to reasonably deal with Minato. As the Universe, he's done with his story. He learned his lesson about bonds and friendship and death... But... I guess because he's always been so dependent on Hamuko... he doesn't quite trust in his 'true self' considering Hamuko and him share there Personas and he'd be confused as to whether he is Messiah or Orpheus Telos. That's a start, but I don't think I'll be publishing anything anytime soon. I hope you enjoyed this story at least. I mean you must have if you stuck through all 52 chapters... Feel free to leave a review if you have questions, comments, or concerns. Especially, if you find inconsistencies or mistakes... Thank you very much for reading!


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